Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Even though my respect-o-meter pegged to 11 for Cosentino's, still wouldn't mind seeing a TJ's somewhere downtown or midtown. TJ's doesn't do prepared foods, no meat/seafood counter and is more specialty than C's. BTW, C's downtown seafood counter has slid over the years but I think you can still special order anything you want and get the next day or so depending. C's also gets significant convention biz, TJs won't as much even if nearby. I think they can complement each other and might cause C's to raise bar. And TJ's will draw some from N and E parts of metro to downtown, where TJs isn't. Locatarians downtown might not want it but TJ's really is a destination store to their fans and downtown could use destination stores.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Midtown needs a good grocery store. Cosentino's > Marsh's. In every way I can think of.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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earthling wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 10:13 am Even though my respect-o-meter pegged to 11 for Cosentino's, still wouldn't mind seeing a TJ's somewhere downtown or midtown. TJ's doesn't do prepared foods, no meat/seafood counter and is more specialty than C's. BTW, C's downtown seafood counter has slid over the years but I think you can still special order anything you want and get the next day or so depending. C's also gets significant convention biz, TJs won't as much even if nearby. I think they can complement each other and might cause C's to raise bar. And TJ's will draw some from N and E parts of metro to downtown, where TJs isn't. Locatarians downtown might not want it but TJ's really is a destination store to their fans and downtown could use destination stores.
Downtown will (hopefully soon) get a small urban Target. Grocery's profit margin is tiny, but it's still an important segment to Target. It will finally fill that big gap, much needed for downtown residents and visitors.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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earthling wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 10:13 am Even though my respect-o-meter pegged to 11 for Cosentino's, still wouldn't mind seeing a TJ's somewhere downtown or midtown. TJ's doesn't do prepared foods, no meat/seafood counter and is more specialty than C's. BTW, C's downtown seafood counter has slid over the years but I think you can still special order anything you want and get the next day or so depending. C's also gets significant convention biz, TJs won't as much even if nearby. I think they can complement each other and might cause C's to raise bar. And TJ's will draw some from N and E parts of metro to downtown, where TJs isn't. Locatarians downtown might not want it but TJ's really is a destination store to their fans and downtown could use destination stores.
i got all the way to the second sentence before i started to suspect TJs meant anything other than taco john's. but then i'm pretty classy, so.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Should've said Trader Joe's at least once. Is a top retailer lately...
https://www.supermarketnews.com/consume ... er-ranking

Have read that Target for smaller urban stores will avoid categories of products that are available in the immediate area. That is if a pet store is nearby they won't carry pet food/supplies as not to compete. Depending on location downtown they may or may not carry a lot of food items. They'll apparently target what's lacking downtown.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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We make an effort to support locals but national retailers have their place for downtown. Chains are not a good fit for Xroads or RM. Crown Center has shied away more recently. P&L seems to be going more towards entertainment/eats and less interested in merchandise but would probably love to score Target.

The Loop is best place to put a stretch of mainstream chains and would be great to see 8th St between Main/Bway turned into a pedestrian only street with mixed-used hirises (hotel/office/residential in same towers), retailers at street. Would be a good fit for a TJ's, Target and other national retailers that can survive in downtowns.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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earthling wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:29 pmThey'll apparently target what's lacking downtown.
I really can’t think of anything sold at Target that we aren’t lacking DT (clothes, electronics, housewares, etc)
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Yeah and the way Target approaches small stores is that they'll rotate categories of items then stick with what sells in the neighborhood, keeping one section as a rotating section at all times.

Nordstrom's is doing something similar with the Plaza store, which will be smaller than their others. In response to online shopping, they'll focus mostly on services but will also rotate items often. Sounds like they do it more often than seasonal to keep the store fresh.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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My comment was not meant to indicate that Cosentino's was actually struggling (and who here has looked at their books?), but grocery stores operate on thin margins and any downturn could spell disaster (see the post-shooting troubles at Lipari's on Prospect). If you want retail in your neighborhood -- like everyone says they do -- shop there.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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I saw an article a few years ago where Cosentino's said well more than half of their downtown store profits come from the prepared foods side of store. They are probably not as susceptible to low margins as most traditional markets, buy I wonder how much perishables impact them

C's should run cooking classes in the winter during slow periods, targeting single guys/girls who never use their kitchen. And maybe put together more involved meal kits to cook at home, similar to Blue Apron. As well as starter kits for new cooks, like a package of basic herbs/sauces/olive oils/vinegars to have on hand. Could imagine weekly Cajun class, Thai class, Mediterranean class, etc.

When a friend taught me how to cook, the engineer side of me realized it's like a chemistry set. Learned how to balance hot/sour/salty/sweet. Learned how to do prep work, chopping, etc and found it therapeutic after a hard day - didn't mind cleaning up mess either. When learning the prep involved with SE Asian and learning how to do a good wine-reduced sauce (as a saucier), you can cook most anything with a recipe. And it's not particularly difficult with guidance.
Last edited by earthling on Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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DaveKCMO wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:22 am My comment was not meant to indicate that Cosentino's was actually struggling (and who here has looked at their books?), but grocery stores operate on thin margins and any downturn could spell disaster (see the post-shooting troubles at Lipari's on Prospect). If you want retail in your neighborhood -- like everyone says they do -- shop there.
I never saw their books per say, but I did see a yearly PNL.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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earthling wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:08 am C's should run cooking classes in the winter during slow periods, targeting single guys/girls who never use their kitchen. And maybe put together more involved meal kits to cook at home, similar to Blue Apron. As well as starter kits for new cooks, like a package of basic herbs/sauces/olive oils/vinegars to have on hand. Could imagine weekly Cajun class, Thai class, Mediterranean class, etc.
Yeah, these are great ideas! I’d take a cooking class. I wonder if they aren’t used to the different clientele that DT has? They should make some adjustment for a younger, more often single crowd.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:17 pm
earthling wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:08 am C's should run cooking classes in the winter during slow periods, targeting single guys/girls who never use their kitchen. And maybe put together more involved meal kits to cook at home, similar to Blue Apron. As well as starter kits for new cooks, like a package of basic herbs/sauces/olive oils/vinegars to have on hand. Could imagine weekly Cajun class, Thai class, Mediterranean class, etc.
Yeah, these are great ideas! I’d take a cooking class. I wonder if they aren’t used to the different clientele that DT has? They should make some adjustment for a younger, more often single crowd.
Hy-Vee does cooking classes in the suburbs, that's absolutely not something just for the "different clientele" downtown has.

They're not targeting younger, single customers with them.
They offer kids classes, with the dietician, wine-sepecific events and such.

Here's one class targeting families with meals for four
https://www.hy-vee.com/stores/calendar/ ... ent=101586
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:17 pm
earthling wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:08 am C's should run cooking classes in the winter during slow periods, targeting single guys/girls who never use their kitchen. And maybe put together more involved meal kits to cook at home, similar to Blue Apron. As well as starter kits for new cooks, like a package of basic dried herbs/sauces/olive oils/vinegars to have on hand. Could imagine weekly Cajun class, Thai class, Mediterranean class, etc.
Yeah, these are great ideas! I’d take a cooking class. I wonder if they aren’t used to the different clientele that DT has? They should make some adjustment for a younger, more often single crowd.
Hacking prepared/frozen foods is another class they could have. I do this often. An example is perking up a frozen microwaveable chicken fried rice bag that isn't loaded with chemicals/sodium. Add some rice vinegar, lemongrass, thai hot sauce or chile paste and finely chopped Kaffir lime leaves (can get Tasty Thai sauce and lime leaves at Chinatown market 3rd/Grand). Gives it a complex zip with many layers going on. I've got quite a few hacking tricks when not up for cooking a full meal - packaged pho, lasagna, clam linguine that I'll twist into cajun diane for starters.

Foodie hackers can take a packaged food (if not overly processed, which TJ's tends to carry) and perk it up to be often better than many above avg restaurants with not much effort and for much less $. And less cleanup than cooking full meal.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Grocery store closed indefinitely. It was just stormed by what looks like 100-200 protestors. It appears that people are standing on top of things and social distancing is certainly not being enforced.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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normalthings wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:57 pm Grocery store closed indefinitely. It was just stormed by what looks like 100-200 protestors. It appears that people are standing on top of things and social distancing is certainly not being enforced.
I can’t find anything online do you have pictures?
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Riverite wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:14 pm
normalthings wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:57 pm Grocery store closed indefinitely. It was just stormed by what looks like 100-200 protestors. It appears that people are standing on top of things and social distancing is certainly not being enforced.
I can’t find anything online do you have pictures?
I didn’t take any but it appeared professional media photographers where there. The front entrance was overflowing with crowds onto the sidewalk.
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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normalthings wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:21 pm
Riverite wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:14 pm
normalthings wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:57 pm Grocery store closed indefinitely. It was just stormed by what looks like 100-200 protestors. It appears that people are standing on top of things and social distancing is certainly not being enforced.
I can’t find anything online do you have pictures?
I didn’t take any but it appeared professional media photographers where there. The front entrance was overflowing with crowds onto the sidewalk.
Fair enough, since there aren’t pictures or reports and I’ve seen photos of the protest, is it possible it was just people going into to buy things. Saying it will be closed indefinitely seems a bit pre mature no?
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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Riverite wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:26 pm
normalthings wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:21 pm
Riverite wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:14 pm

I can’t find anything online do you have pictures?
I didn’t take any but it appeared professional media photographers where there. The front entrance was overflowing with crowds onto the sidewalk.
Fair enough, since there aren’t pictures or reports and I’ve seen photos of the protest, is it possible it was just people going into to buy things. Saying it will be closed indefinitely seems a bit pre mature no?
They have cleared out now. No, they had BLM signs and bull horns.

This is the protest earlier on the way to the store.

https://twitter.com/navasphoto/status/1 ... 69954?s=21
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Re: Cosentino's Grocery downtown

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They left the store and took over the stage inside the live block for about 30 minutes.
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