Decatur has long desired to attract a new grocery store downtown. Calls for a Trader Joe’s are a running joke on this site – and elsewhere, assumedly (local watering holes, water coolers, etc)
Yes there’s the mini-Kroger, but **insert your reason here**.
Decaturish reported a couple of days back that the city was trying to woo a high-end market to the city and that a change to the liquor law was necessary to make the opening appealing. As the article pointed out, the large Cook’s Warehouse space downtown is currently vacant and could conceivably house a small grocery store.
Decaturish then followed up with a challenge from the Georgia Alcohol Dealers Association, who claims the change to the law isn’t allowed in Georgia. But the city says their attorney has given the sign off on these changes, and that it is within the city’s purview. UPDATE: According to Savi Provisions website, their current Buckhead location sells small quantities of spirits already, so it seems there’s a work around for grocery stores out there. So I guess we’ll see where any of this goes.
WSB also recently featured the story in a segment, as shown above.
Update added to article above: Savi Provisions Buckhead location already sells spirits in limited quantities, so there seems to be a work around for grocery stores out there.
http://www.saviprovisions.com/Page.aspx?PageID=1044
Anyone ever been to that location and know how they handle their liquor sales?
The market part of that location is actually closed. When it was open, they were side by side, but separated.
That would be similar to Costco. The liquor store portion is separate from (but immediately adjacent to) the main store.
My favorite part of the video segment is the end reference to the unnamed woman against the change because, with no apparent context or explanation, she “doesn’t want to buy food right next to liquor.” I so much want to know if, for example, Lemon Pledge together with food, or Raid bug spray, or perhaps the current selection of beers and wine might be okay.
Decatur is at the epicenter of the food wars with Kroger, Proposed Costco, Proposed Whole Foods, DeKalb Farmers Market, Sprouts and Super Kroger all within 2 miles. I would find it hard to believe that the area can support all the options, let the race begin!
But all of those require cars to get to, and we have so many new downtown residents who don’t drive! Right? That’s why Commerce is being narrowed, isn’t it?
This is hilarious. You want a new grocery store….but you don’t want ppl to drive to it ( based on your other transportation plans). How is this logical? It will be interesting to see if the city can convince a business to willingly invest in the area even though one of it’s arms will be tied behind it’s back.
Designing streets to be more friendly and safe for pedestrians and cyclists =/= not wanting people to drive.
But yes, one would imagine that any high end market would be concerned about the number of parking spaces in addition to traffic counts. Even if Decatur’s interpretation of the law were to stand (not sure how likely that might be), I don’t know that the Cook’s/Sherlock space would fit the bill in terms of desired parking. Perhaps the Calloway site would be more attractive? Or the large pie-shaped space in the Arlo?
As DM pointed out, the Cook’s space is vacant and there are no ‘for lease’ signs on the windows. There is parking, albeit limited. It is near office space that employs hundreds of people who can shop there without using those parking spaces. Hundreds more live within waking distance.
Fifteen years ago or so there was a niche grocer who tried, unsuccessfully, to make a go of it where Taco Mac is now. The mix of items offered was a bit odd, but mostly I think they were just ahead of their time.
Decatur has significantly changed over the past twenty-five years (recall the RV parking lots, empty storefronts, and the small handful of places to eat) and will continue to evolve. This is the type of development that will lead the way.
Right on. If speculation is correct, a market in this space, together with the Decatur Market going in across from the Kimball House, will go a long way towards developing a stronger “bodega culture” here in the D. Limited “down the block” basics and prepared foods is one of the missing pieces for many of our downtown residents looking to live car-free or car-lite. Progress on this front will give ’em more reasons to keep that car parked.