February 26, 201510 yr I got a wrap from their "Global Grille" in the rotunda, and it was fine. As for their other prepared foods, I can't really say. Having grown up in the Youngstown area, I don't have much experience shopping at Heinen's. But if you're stopping there for lunch, I'd recommend the Global Grille. Not a lot of options, but it might be fresher than the other prepared foods.
February 26, 201510 yr Everything is fresh. It's just very, very bland. "Fine" isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, not that a wrap sandwich is terribly exciting. But you know what? I get the greek chicken wrap sandwich at Treehugger's and it is phenomenal. I would recommend it to others and go out of my way for it as their restaurant is pretty far from where I live. I just have a personal philosophy not to waste calories on things that are "fine" or "ok" or worse, like their macaroni and cheese, which is downright terrible, as are their soups. JMO and not really on topic. I did drive by there today at lunch and couldn't find a parking space anywhere and I don't usually have trouble (I wasn't going to Heinen's, I was going to go to HOdge's for lunch but ended up at Tastebuds instead), so I'm gathering they are pretty busy.
February 26, 201510 yr sorry to hear this store isn't living up to everyone's expectations, despite the spectacular setting. A friend sent me this cool tote bag from Heinen's :laugh: http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
February 26, 201510 yr Cool bag. I think the store is blowing people away! Who was complaining it didn't live up to their expectations?
February 26, 201510 yr Cool bag. I think the store is blowing people away! Who was complaining it didn't live up to their expectations? I thought you just said "Everything is fresh. It's just very, very bland." honestly, I don't know that much about Heinen's. I don't think it was in Lake County back in my day a hundred years ago. It's been my understanding that it was the most upscale of the Cleveland area supermarket chains, but probably not on the level of Whole Foods. http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
February 26, 201510 yr That was a specific comment related to my original comment upthread in that Heinen's AS A WHOLE COMPANY (not this particular store), that I wish they would do better with their prepared foods. I also said how much I love Heinen's in the same post. And have said several times how excited I am about this new store. Let's not single out the one negative comment I have about them and call that "the store not living up to my expectations," as I don't believe that's what I said at all. I am the living opposite of someone who does not support Heinen's. I spend several hundred a month in their stores and the only other place I grocery shop in all of cleveland is the mustard seed. Heinen's has an (IMO) undeserved reputation as being "upscale." Just because something is clean and nice and they offer a lot of organic produce, and the store layout doesn't make you want to hang yourself because of its ugly grid layout like a Giant Eagle doesn't mean it's for rich people. It's something I have a bee in my bonnet about because I support Heinen's and spend an enormous amount of money at their stores each year. The West Point Market is for rich people. Gelson's (LA grocery) is for rich people. Heinen's is just a grocery.
February 26, 201510 yr The thing that distinguishes Heinens in my opinion is their all around service and the quality of their employees.
February 26, 201510 yr ^^thanks for clarifying (I admit I didn't read all the prior comments :oops:). Like I said, I don't know that much about the store, not having lived in the area for ages. I think the "upscale" impression for me is that forty years ago before they had as many stores is that they were initially just in places like Shaker and maybe the wealthier east side suburbs (?) http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
February 26, 201510 yr Guys, on a FB argument with someone saying there aren't enough people downtown for them to have built this store, and here was his comment: "current estimates by business research state that in order to justify a grocery/supermarket in a downtown location there needs to be at least 18,000 full time residents. Even with a nearly 'sold out' occupancy in downtown Cleveland there are only about 14,000 full time residence. In my opinion Heinens will likely break even at best until more residential units become available. " I would love your thoughts. True? Bunk? Give me something to back him down with?
February 26, 201510 yr ^^thanks for clarifying (I admit I didn't read all the prior comments :oops:). Like I said, I don't know that much about the store, not having lived in the area for ages. I think the "upscale" impression for me is that forty years ago before they had as many stores is that they were initially just in places like Shaker and maybe the wealthier east side suburbs (?) Thanks. That may be, but since I didn't grow up here, I don't have that bias against them. By the time I moved to Cleveland, they were almost everywhere.
February 26, 201510 yr ^ I think the Heinens made it clear they are banking on the future of increased units. Also, how can you quantify workers and ballgame and theatre goers into residents? That's something that doesn't convert to the suburban locations.
February 26, 201510 yr Also, after visiting, this will be a tourist destination. Theres nothing like this ive seen. This will bring in people just to see it.
February 26, 201510 yr Guys, on a FB argument with someone saying there aren't enough people downtown for them to have built this store, and here was his comment: "current estimates by business research state that in order to justify a grocery/supermarket in a downtown location there needs to be at least 18,000 full time residents. Even with a nearly 'sold out' occupancy in downtown Cleveland there are only about 14,000 full time residence. In my opinion Heinens will likely break even at best until more residential units become available. " I would love your thoughts. True? Bunk? Give me something to back him down with? The Downtown Cleveland Alliance projects that there will be ~18,000 residents downtown in the next couple years, and ~25,000 by 2022. Like BelievelandD1[/member] said, Heinen's knows they jumped in a bit early and were well aware of the risks. But I have a hard time believing this won't ultimately be successful. I know it's only the first two days, but the energy there has been great.
February 26, 201510 yr The thing that distinguishes Heinens in my opinion is their all around service and the quality of their employees. Agreed, the staff on opening day were helpful with every question, pointing people to open registers, etc. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
February 26, 201510 yr To his point though, right NOW they don't have those people. Which I guess is technically true and he wasn't trying to diss that move, but I wasn't sure if that was really the totality of their decision, that it was a leap and the numbers aren't there. But I knew you guys would know.
February 26, 201510 yr With their prepared foods, they can capture a chunk of the office worker lunchtime crowd. And with the wine tastings, on-site consumption of alcohol etc., they can capture the after-work, CSU, pre-game Cavs/Indians/Monsters customers. If Heinen's was basing this store's success just on the grocery/downtown residential population, then I don't think they would have moved forward with this store right now. Instead, the residential biz is a foundation; it sets the revenue floor for them. The other activities are the variables that should push the revenue line above cost, and the revenue floor is only going to rise. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 26, 201510 yr With their prepared foods, they can capture a chunk of the office worker lunchtime crowd. And with the wine tastings, on-site consumption of alcohol etc., they can capture the after-work, CSU, pre-game Cavs/Indians/Monsters customers. If Heinen's was basing this store's success just on the grocery/downtown residential population, then I don't think they would have moved forward with this store right now. Instead, the residential biz is a foundation; it sets the revenue floor for them. The other activities are the variables that should push the revenue line above cost, and the floor is only going to rise. That's all true, but prepared foods and the food stations probably have the smallest profit margins for the store (if they even make money at all). I think they'll be more successful with these things than their other stores, but relying on those sectors financially is still risky.
February 26, 201510 yr That's all true, but prepared foods and the food stations probably have the smallest profit margins for the store (if they even make money at all). I think they'll be more successful with these things than their other stores, but relying on those sectors financially is still risky. But I would think each new location offering prepared foods creates some economies of scale since preparation of the foods are begun at a central location. So the fixed cost stays the same; the issue is the variable cost associated with this site (which may be substantial considering its opulence, but labor is usually the biggest cost). And this location would probably offer more revenue per unit of fixed cost than other stores. We shall see! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 26, 201510 yr With their prepared foods, they can capture a chunk of the office worker lunchtime crowd. And with the wine tastings, on-site consumption of alcohol etc., they can capture the after-work, CSU, pre-game Cavs/Indians/Monsters customers. If Heinen's was basing this store's success just on the grocery/downtown residential population, then I don't think they would have moved forward with this store right now. Instead, the residential biz is a foundation; it sets the revenue floor for them. The other activities are the variables that should push the revenue line above cost, and the floor is only going to rise. That's all true, but prepared foods and the food stations probably have the smallest profit margins for the store (if they even make money at all). I think they'll be more successful with these things than their other stores, but relying on those sectors financially is still risky. Umm.....they charge a pretty high premium on prepared foods. I doubt they don't make a profit. Were I them, I would stay open late when there's a game, and catch the after game crowd as well. They aren't exactly far from Gateway, and not everyone wants to deal with the traffic. There shouldn't be much more need for policing than the restaurants and bars already have. As for the "enough people living there" argument, they simply have to catch some that work there. I would consider Heinen's mildly "upscale", especially by Cleveland standards. Because of where they locate (or more specifically, don't locate), what they stock, their prices, and the fact that they don't give off a cut rate vibe. This really doesn't seem to be true of anyone else with more than two or three stores in the region.
February 27, 201510 yr This shouldn't be expected to be an-all gourmet supermarket. It is not a Whole Foods nor a Mustard Seed Market & Cafe. It's still a Heinen's, which one should expect to be a sizable grocery store with, in this case, lots of prepared foods, a pretty snazzy wine department, a lot of fairly ordinary fruits, vegetables, frozen stuff, etc. A mix - intended to fully fulfill the needs of downtown-type residents, plus some downtown employees, some visitors, etc. No, not every sandwich is going to be up to exactly your favorite from a specialized take-out place you're very used to. People will start getting used to new tastes, new policies, a new-to-them floor arrangement. Enjoy Heinen's for the unusual, and the usual, too, all in a fabulous setting - aesthetically, architecturally, and historically.
February 27, 201510 yr I've already posted on Facebook gorgeous photos or mentioned London's Fortnum and Mason and the food halls of Harrods, Selfridges, Printemps, and les Galeries Lafayette. In your travels, what have you seen in American or Canadian food stores that are anything like the new Heinen's? I'm looking for supermarket-type places, not the large public markets (e.g. at least partially outdoors) all large cities have. I'm also talking ornate/grand architecture - particularly historic.
February 28, 201510 yr Visited the Downtown Heinen's for the first time last evening before heading down to Playhouse Square for dinner and a show (opening night of Dial M for Murder at The Hanna).... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 28, 201510 yr The thing that distinguishes Heinens in my opinion is their all around service and the quality of their employees. This.
March 1, 201510 yr The Food Hall of Harrod's flagshop store, London. Actually there are six food halls there:
March 1, 201510 yr The Food Hall of Galeries Lafayette, in Paris, recently moved across the street to the home store. I'm sure the offerings are tremendous and topnotch, but the main building of that department store makes our Rotunda pale in comparison: http://www.arkanta.com/?attachment_id=1422
March 2, 201510 yr I got to Heinen's somewhere around 2:30 pm on Friday, its third day, and it was not crowded at all. A decent, manageable number of people - in the rotunda and in 1010. No real lines. The few staff I dealt with were friendly and helpful, as I'd expect. One young guy said he came from the University Heights Heinen's, where I typically go with my wife. This guy said he thinks UH is three times the size. He also shared what he recalled in comparing prices on honey between the two stores - one more downtown, one the same, he thought. He pointed out a detail on the price tag which he thought indicated this. Yes, it's beautiful, but I had been looking in the doors and I'd been plenty prepared so certainly no shocker. I also had gotten in several times when the space was unused - on tours.
March 2, 201510 yr The Food Hall of Harrod's flagshop store, London. Actually there are six food halls there: It was also very expensive to eat there. We were able to locate a "relatively inexpensive" lunch counter which is where we had lunch in 2007. Even so, I remember the tab being pretty expensive for the cheapest lunch we could find. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 2, 201510 yr Some nat'l pub from NPR. Architect Turns Old Cleveland Bank Into Heinen's Supermarket http://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390119269/architect-turns-old-cleveland-bank-into-heinens-supermarket Also from Fox News. Suburban Grocer Talks Security as New Downtown Cleveland Store Opens. ^ http://www.ok-i-made-that-one-up.com
March 4, 201510 yr I noticed a writer in the PD today also mentioned the Harrod's Food Hall in respect to the new Heinen's....
April 8, 201510 yr Nice compliment for the Heinen's..... Cities And Money: Iconic Buildings For Sale by Zach Bergson March 13, 2015 Cleveland Trust Rotunda Cleveland, Ohio Sold December 2012, along with a group of other buildings, for $27 million Current Use: Grocery store The Cleveland Trust Rotunda, later known as the Ameritrust Bank, was built in 1908l. It became vacant in the 1990s and remained that way until it was sold to The Geis Companies in 2012, which then leased it to Heinen’s supermarket. It’s safe to say that it’s now one of the nicest markets in the world. https://businessjournalism.org/2015/03/cities-and-money-iconic-buildings-for-sale/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 9, 201510 yr From the article: "It’s safe to say that it’s now one of the nicest markets in the world." I think we would all agree!
April 10, 201510 yr From the article: "It’s safe to say that it’s now one of the nicest markets in the world." I think we would all agree! Nice compliment for the Heinen's..... Cities And Money: Iconic Buildings For Sale by Zach Bergson March 13, 2015 Cleveland Trust Rotunda Cleveland, Ohio Sold December 2012, along with a group of other buildings, for $27 million Current Use: Grocery store The Cleveland Trust Rotunda, later known as the Ameritrust Bank, was built in 1908l. It became vacant in the 1990s and remained that way until it was sold to The Geis Companies in 2012, which then leased it to Heinen’s supermarket. It’s safe to say that it’s now one of the nicest markets in the world. https://businessjournalism.org/2015/03/cities-and-money-iconic-buildings-for-sale/ I'm laughing at them calling the London skyscraper the Gherkin like that's its official name.
April 10, 201510 yr I think that's fine considering basically nobody calls it 30 St. Mary Axe. It's almost unanimously referred to as the Gherkin.
April 13, 201510 yr The 9's rooftop bar and lounge to open May 2 By CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS April 13, 2015 11:10 AM Summer is coming, and The 9 is ready to celebrate it with the opening of its rooftop bar and lounge, Azure. Azure, located above The 9’s building at 1010 Euclid Ave., will open Saturday, May 2. It’s more than 8,500 square feet, which The 9’s operators say makes it the largest rooftop bar in downtown Cleveland. "Azure is the final piece of The 9's puzzle," said Keith Halfmann, chief operating officer of Geis Hospitality Group, in a news release. "Azure provides an oasis above the city for guests to go into 'vacation mode,' no matter if it's a Monday or a Saturday." MORE: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20150413/FREE/150419962/the-9s-rooftop-bar-and-lounge-to-open-may-2 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 24, 201510 yr Stayed at the 9 last night for a bachelor party. It was very nice and the Vegas feel of the place really worked for us. Just the fact that they have hotels/apts/bars/restaurants all in one complex, that was really cool. Lots of people going in and out all night. Also we talked to Gregg Popovich... he was in front of us in the check-in line yesterday around 3:00. He's here for tonight's Cavs game, really nice guy. Also one of my buddies claimed he saw Johnny Manziel but that might be BS, I had heard he moved out. Went up to the rooftop and that was probably the highlight of the night for me. Pretty good sized crowd and great view, around 4 PM. I should have taken more pictures of the actual bar instead of just the view for you guys. Side note - We were a little worried about the protests but they did not affect the night very much. They all came up to 9th and Eagle right as we were leaving the Tribe game so we walked around to get back to the hotel. Later on we saw them from the hotel room walk by on 9th a few times. But then we walked back and fourth to the casino on Prospect around 11 PM - 1 AM with no issues, and a lot of people were out and about.
May 24, 201510 yr Oh wow is that cool. I need to get up there! How much is a beer? Normal draft is $7 (yikes!), but during happy hour its $4. I believe happy hour goes from 4-7pm
May 24, 201510 yr My friend bought that round so I don't know for sure. Beer selection wasn't great, it was definitely more liquor-oriented. I had a Sam Adams that was probably around $5.
May 27, 201510 yr East 9th and Euclid -- Lunch hour on a hot, sunny day today...... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 27, 201510 yr East 9th and Euclid -- Lunch hour on a hot, sunny day today...... So who's jaywalking?
May 28, 201510 yr So who's jaywalking? You don't go downtown much, do you? :) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 28, 201510 yr So who's jaywalking? You don't go downtown much, do you? :) I used to. That intersection in fact. Enough to (even now) spot that there are people in adjacent crosswalks that would not both have the light unless someone really screwed up. Upon further review, the people in the light blue and pink shirts are crossing against the light.... And the person walking the diagonal would have been me, circa 1984.
May 28, 201510 yr Stayed at the 9 last night for a bachelor party. It was very nice and the Vegas feel of the place really worked for us. Just the fact that they have hotels/apts/bars/restaurants all in one complex, that was really cool. Lots of people going in and out all night. Also we talked to Gregg Popovich... he was in front of us in the check-in line yesterday around 3:00. He's here for tonight's Cavs game, really nice guy. Also one of my buddies claimed he saw Johnny Manziel but that might be BS, I had heard he moved out. Went up to the rooftop and that was probably the highlight of the night for me. Pretty good sized crowd and great view, around 4 PM. I should have taken more pictures of the actual bar instead of just the view for you guys. Side note - We were a little worried about the protests but they did not affect the night very much. They all came up to 9th and Eagle right as we were leaving the Tribe game so we walked around to get back to the hotel. Later on we saw them from the hotel room walk by on 9th a few times. But then we walked back and fourth to the casino on Prospect around 11 PM - 1 AM with no issues, and a lot of people were out and about. It's amazing that in a little over a year, the 9 has become THE place to see and be seen -- to me, it's Vegas, mixed with LA and South Beach-- people and celeb watching is a pastime there. Kinda nice to have such a place in Cleveland. We saw, and talked to Pop, who did seem like a nice guy who probably is relaxed to be off the hardwood as an observer, although I'm sure he wishes the Spurs were still playing --- I frankly and glad they are not... The rooftop bar, lounge and dance area was very impressive. Views of downtown, as your pics display, are fantastic. From the speed of the construction to the quality and scope of the restaurants, lounges, apts, Heinens and hotel rooms, this is one of the most amazing projects I've ever seen.
June 5, 201510 yr I just wanted to announce that the entire "The 9" project was a winner in the Celebration of Preservation Awards program on May 28th. The title of this particular award was "Outstanding Preservation Achievement" and it was offered, dramatically, as the last award of the event, held in the Allen Theatre. I was on the Jury; there were some negative comments about the decorating and some other items, but there was plenty of discussion about how the achievement of the whole complex is a tremendously successful ending to what had been an extremely sorry chapter in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County history. Outstanding features of the restoration work included rebuilding the Metropolitan's main floor facade's wall where the restaurant is. Wonderful work all around. It's definitely a so-called "win-win" solution. http://www.clevelandrestoration.org/awards/past-years.php
June 30, 20159 yr Ken Prendergast @KennyPeepers 32m32 minutes ago Heinen's (ex-Cleveland Trust Bank), downtown Cleveland. World's most beautiful grocery store outside of Harrods. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 1, 20159 yr Heinen's is in the process of installing an outdoor patio area on Euclid. I would have taken a picture this morning, but the workers had set the fences up in the wrong space. The patio will be accessed from the western most door of the rotunda building.
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