June 27, 2007
Wrestling with the mob
Whatever you do to remain calm-- whether it be breathing deeply, keeping up with your meds or shouting "Serenity now!"-- you should be prepared to do it if you head to Ukrop's today, their grand opening day.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from going, I'm just warning that the wait for a parking space is reportedly about 10 minutes. I know I sat behind a line of cars filled with people trying to find spots in the underground parking garage for about that long when I ventured over this afternoon.
If you think it's annoying when a driver stops and waits in front of you for a car to pull out of the first space they see, just imagine what it's like when that happens in a parking garage. Not fun.
However, most folks seem to think it's worth the wait once they get inside the store.
Not since Fresh Market first opened have I seen grocery shoppers with such delighted expressions on their faces. They're standing patiently in line for free hot dogs, chili and cheese samples or just a look at the fresh meats and seafoods in the meat cases.
Kevin Hade, Ukrop's vice president for sales and operations, told me the bakery, sushi, meat and seafood cases had been the biggest draws throughout the day. The store had already run out of their signature White House rolls by about 2 p.m. and were expecting an emergency truck at any minute.
In addition, the store already had 10 orders for decorated cakes after only two hours of being open this morning. Perhaps the July 4 holiday and all the summer birthdays were keeping them hopping.
I watched many shoppers head back to their cars with no bags in hand, a sign that some folks ventured out just to get a look at what the store had to offer. But just as many were leaving with loaded carts, and Hade says the opening today could break records for the company.
I left with a small cup of broccoli-cheddar soup, which was a little on the bland side. A sample of the chili revealed that the kidney beans were slightly undercooked, but the flavor was good. I figure the chefs are still new to the store and deserve a little time to perfect their food production, just like any new restaurant needs a few weeks to work out the kinks.
From the look of the parking lot and the wide-eyed shoppers, it's going to take more than a couple of hard beans to ward Roanokers off Ukrop's. Especially when "courtesy clerks" will walk you out to your car in the rain with an umbrella.
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