While it was essential for any self-respecting spy to visit a Mrs. Green’s Natural Market prior to the food chain arriving in town to start a new store, the fact is that no accurate review is possible since Mrs. Green’s won’t really be the same store in Chestertown. In fact, Mrs. Green’s doesn’t really have a clue what the new store in Chestertown will be like at this point.
On the other hand, through the thick fog of a very fast corporate acquisition of the former SuperFresh in Washington Square, a picture is starting to unfold on the future of Chestertown’s largest food store. The good news for the town, and, as we understand it, most of Superfresh’s former employees, is that Mrs. Green’s is not going to shut the store down to re-brand anytime soon. Shoppers and employees will still have a place to shop and work, but it may take months, or longer, to see the full transformation of the store in terms of products, looks and personality.
This should be good news for local foodies with high hopes of a shopping alternative to their weekly trips to Annapolis or Delaware. Over the course of the next year, Mrs. Green’s will be doing serious due diligence with the community on what kind of store is needed in Chestertown. What products are needed, as well as what is the best way to present those products, are some of the questions they’ll be asking us. Once that work is completed, the company is committed to significant renovation at Washington Square.
In the meantime, the Spy still felt the need to take some of the mystery out of who the real Mrs. Green’s was. The answer, based on our field research, is reassuring but a tad complicated. It turns out that Mrs. Green’s is one of three companies under one corporate umbrella. The first is Mrs. Green’s Natural Markets (those are the ones surrounding New York City), Planet Organic (a similar format food store chain in Canada) and Richtree’s Natural Restaurants (Canada and Chicago). So the real Mrs. Green’s is really a small corporation called Natural Market Restaurants Corporation (NMRC) based in Canada.
The Chestertown store, unlike Mrs. Green’s and Planet Organic, will be a totally new food store format for the company. This looks like NMRC’s attempt to build a new brand for the corporation that would include larger, more conventional stores, but with a special twist. Rather than change out the masthead, and carry on with a traditional main street store offering, NMRC is looking to Chestertown, and other locations, to develop an entirely new model for the local food store. Taking the lessons of their exclusively organic roots, their intent is to build a hybrid that offers the best of the natural food store experience while also provide more conventional products at reasonable prices.
Since they seem to be building a new model, all one can do is to evaluate the stores they now have to at least determine what corporate DNA they might possess as the best hint of what the town can expect.
The Mrs. Green’s Natural Market in Briarcliff Manor, New York takes up the anchor store position in a very small, discrete five store shopping center. It shares space with a pizza parlor, a Starbucks, a drug store, and hardware store. The store has as much space as our Dollar General Store does in Chestertown, around 10,000 squire feet. It is an exceptionally clean store, with knowledgeable employees, all of whom seemed awfully friendly for New Yorkers.
The produce section is small, but it is clearly well maintained and simply presented. Unfortunately, the labeling of products was limited, with just country of origin noted, even for the local producers they offer (buying local is formally supported by the company), but given that all the produce was certified organic, it would be hard to say they don’t take great interest in their quality. The vegetable and fruit looked great.
The cheese section was a minor letdown. The display case offered a reasonably healthy section, including a good range of brands, but the Spy had some hope to see a well-tended cheese station appropriately staffed to offer recommendations and special cut requests.
The meat section reminded the Spy of Trader Joe’s format. An extremely limited selection of natural chicken, meat and pork were stacked up neatly. As this was New York, kosher certified seemed to dominate the display, but there was very nice looking rib eye steaks and ground beef as well.
The prepared food section turned out to be a delightful surprise. A significant selection of prepared meals and dishes, once again all organic and well presented, lined the display case. While the choices were more limited than Whole Foods, the impression was that Mrs. Green’s selection seemed far more appealing and better prepared than Whole Foods, which depending on the store, looks more like a Boston Market chain. Their accompanying salad bar was spotless, frequently attended to, and had an excellent limited selection. There was also a small eating section for those wanting to eat their prepared food on site.
Sadly, there was no bakery, and the pastry and bread selection, while certainly adequate, didn’t seem to be one of their primary interests. On the other hand, their food sampling stations were incredibly numerous for a small store, with an excellent Mrs. Green’s brand gluten-free desert bread being generously offered.
All in all, Mrs. Green’s was a excellent shopping experience, but does that really answer the question of the fate for Chestertown? The answer is yes and no.
There is little doubt that almost immediately Mrs. Green’s will be offering more brands that have roots in the organic market sector, and it’s also reasonable to assume many of those will be quite unique for Chestertown. It’s also likely that the tone and general appearance of the store will replicate their other stores, with friendly (and we hope knowledgeable staff) as well as an aesthetic more similar to a Whole Foods than a Acme.
How the Chestertown store will be dissimilar remains the great unknown, but with 35,000 squire feet to fill, this will not be a particularly cozy shopping experience found in their current stores.
It’s also reasonable to assume that most of the products you see at the Superfresh in June will be the same you’ll see in August, whether that be dog food or canned pasta dishes for kids. It’s also assumed that Mrs. Green’s wil be competitive on price, at least for mainstream products, with the local Acme.
The real challenge for Mrs. Green’s is to correctly gauge the community’s long standing love for food, particularly local food, and incorporate that into the culture of their new store. The commitment to buy local produce is encouraging, but if Mrs. Green’s can partner with our local cheese makers, bread makers, and beef producers as well, it will surely be a win-win for all.
Elise Kolaja says
Nicely done article, thanks for the info!
Judy Kohl says
Looks like it might be similar to the small Railway Market in Easton, only larger.
Anna says
Thanks for the information! This is an exciting addition for Chestertown.
Cynthia McGinnes says
It’s nice to know that they will try to fit the store to Chestertown…each community is unique in its shopping habits and it makes a lot of sense for them to wait and see what changes will work and which ones won’t. Good job,Dave!
Jane E. Hukill says
Thanks so much for your continued and in depth reporting on this new store for Kent County.
Fleurs says
Oh, joy, a clean store selling organic produce, with knowledgeable personnel in Chestertown.
We’ll be able to save gas (and tolls) on trips to Annapolis.
Can’t wait until the new store opens!
Dave, thanks for the followup.
Mike Johnson says
Mrs Green has my initial support just by being sensitive to local wants and needs. It sure would be nice to see local yard birds, beef and pig from pig pens. “Organic” is so over blown. Give me local stuff that had a chance to walk around, keep the antibiotics and chemicals to a minimum and I’m in.
gerry maynes says
Hi, Friendly for New Yorkers ! Kosher certified Pork? Wow that must be some liberal congregation. I worked in a Finast in Briar Cliff Manor.. It sounds like the same center. Did you have the time to stop in any of the Food Emporiums ( A@P upscale stores) in the area. Just guessing that since most of them started out as A@P!s that they might copy the footprint. I still doubt that they can compete on price on conventional Groceries. They will need the higher margins to of set the shrinkage from thier perishable departments.
Lets face it if Acme wanted to build and upscale store like their Concord Pa store in Chestertown, This store would gone before it started. The Demo!s are just not there. Westchester County is one of the wealthiest Places in The United States. Bungalows sell for about 850,000. Chestertown just aint there yet. I wish them luck. I hope the Acme stays and this store does well. It would not surprise me that the same time next year Chestertown has no supermarket in town and a lot of good people are out of work or have to travel to other chain locations for work.
StellaL says
Judging from what the Acme looked like at 5:00 today, I should think that it is Acme that will be leaving.
The store was/is dirty, stocks just the basics and the meat….
Super Fresh, although scheduled to close, was empty of most meats and cold items yet seemed
better stocked–for some reason. It is just a better store. Whatever Mrs. Greens brings to Chestertown
is sure to be positive. Perhaps Acme will be motivated to improve?
C.G. says
Let’s hope they really can give the wonderful – well-loved – employees of SuperFresh the absolute assurance that they’ll have jobs, as The Spy noted …AND that their pay scale and benefits will be – at least – the same as it has been….As of 6/28 ALL employees we talked to were totally clueless about what Mrs. Green et al have in plans re them, re their compensation, re the store, re ANYthing much other than they’ll be open.
It looks like it could be an interesting and adequate place to shop. Let’s welcome them, give them a chance, be assertive enough to provide their management our input if we see some of the local shopping traditions they seem to miss, and then – fingers-crossed, HOPE FOR THE BEST.
gerry maynes says
On Behalf of all Acme department heads, former, present dead or alive may you Stella and your ilk shop Mrs. Greenes. Acme may indeed leave Chestertown when the lease is up. They have given this town40 years of good service out of that little store, sixty years if you count the downtown location. Perhaps Acme will build a new store in your town or just wait for Mrs Greens to simply fail and go way. Running a real supermarket compared to a few niche corner groceries with about 300 dollars of meat in the case is and incredible challenge. Particularly with questionable finances. I hope they make it a lot of good people who ran and average store lively hoods depend on it.
But your town fathers with their anti business attitudes and unfortunately, a handful of never satisfied folks like Stella, that to would be a leap of faith. Its a shame the town deserves better. Meanwhile the cost of Gas has gone down and Delaware hasn!t thougth about putting up a toll Both on 301 or on the back roads to Dover Yet! Have a great 4th
Jake Baxter says
“All of whom seemed awfully friendly for New Yorkers.” “As this was New York, kosher certified seemed to dominate the display”
Wow.
While I get the point of the above comments, I have to say that they come off as a bit ignorant and rubelike.
Imagine the situation were reversed and the following apeared in a local publication in the New york metro area.
“All of whom seemed awfully smart for residents of the eastern shore.” or “As this was Maryland, venison and cheap cuts of sub prime beef were readily available,”
Again, I get the point but lets relax with the sterotypes and generalizations. I see more and more cars each weekend with NY and NJ tags…..these people spend a lot of money while they are here, maybe even buy a weekend place. We need them and their supermarket.
gerry maynes says
Ah ! Thats Just the point. New Yorkers above the city are friendly for the most part. We don!t even have a word
in the New Yorkers Dictionary for the equivalent of that quaint Eastern Shore phrase to welcome outsiders by calling them Chicken Necks. Whats more we New Yorkers would not say any thing that dumb. However your own former governor, Donald Shafer did say the The eastern Shore is the Out House side of the shore. Mrs Greens is a Canadian Company not a New York company,
What is more take the time to reread what I said and perhaps you will quickly realize that you misread it. Perhaps you are the uneducated ignorant and I might add arrogant self righteous boob that some times settles on The Eastern Shore and not I, But then again you choose to become insulting.
In the end you are correct that the shore needs every dime we can get from my former brethren from New York and New Jersey . Yes the town needs the choice of two markets, the jobs it brings and the simple quality of every day life. Take a trip to towns like Port Jervis who only 20 years ago had three supermarkets( Acme, Great American, and A@P) and today have none. Yes iy could happen in Chestertown
Kurt says
5,000 English gentlemen attending to every need of the excellent women of Chestertown may sound rapturous to some however I find it excessive and perhaps a tad tawdry.
From the story:
“The store has as much space as our Dollar General Store does in Chestertown, around 10,000 squire feet.”
StellaL says
Wow Gerry, cool down. I admire your corporate loyalty but have your really examined the Chestertown Acme
and compared it to other food stores? Really, the store is dirty, lacks choice beyond the basic (organic
cleaning supplies?) and as i said, the meat…really poor. The produce, however, usually has been better than the Super Fresh, however. I know Acme can do better because it does. As in Easton. I simple feet that
perhaps having Mrs. Greens here will give it a healthy nudge.
gerry maynes says
Hi,m Stella how fair a judge are you ? I am telling you it is impossible for and Acme to exist under such circumstances as you describe, I was at the store this morning the meat was just fine no Green to be found, No imaginary dirt ill smells. The shelves were clean the floor was clean but does not have a High Gloss on it. Ligths have been removed from the ceiling. Often this combination makes a store look dingy. In order for a store to make money it needs to turn product( IE Cash Flow). No store of this size is going to carry the SKUS of and Acme the size of the Dover. The shelves could not handle it , the inventory would prevent a profit and the town would have one more empty store. In all due honesty the former Super Fresh and the Acme do less then 350,000 per week. The Acme is profitable due to its size, The Super Fresh is marginal at best ( Death By Walmart) . The SF in Newark and New Castle are smaller then your Acme, They turn enough product to be profitable due to cash Flow) I am skeptical that a small company like Mrs Greens can sell enough fast enough to make it in a store that size. I really do hope so. The supermarket business can be fun or it can be brutal look at all the independents that have died in the last five years, Thriftway,Shop & Bag, I.G>As and so many others.
PJ says
It amuses me that they state, “This should be good news for local foodies with high hopes of a shopping alternative to their weekly trips to Annapolis or Delaware.” In light of the big box store article, what about local shoppers that want alternatives to their similar trips? And how will this store impact the Chestertown Natural Foods store?