Why do Jewel and Dominicks get a free pass for ignoring the South Side? (Chicago: sale, promotional)

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by urza216

I'm white and I love my fried chicken. I eat it all the time, constantly. Yum, GOOD.

Nonetheless, I can't help but notice the complete lack of other white people at some of the places I go to eat my fried chicken. Harold's, Church's, etc.

I see a lot of white people in the Harold's locations on 53rd street in Hyde park, Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park and Wabash Ave. downtown.

[Savoir Faire]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

I see a lot of white people in the Harold's locations on 53rd street in Hyde park, Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park and Wabash Ave. downtown.

I think Harold's is over rated.

[doublenickels]

You should done some research, before you posted. Your post is WRONG about Jewel, and you don't know squat about the south side of Chicago.

Originally Posted by AmosBanks

I have been in Chicago since 1998.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Jewel and Dominick's are not national, but their parent companies are... or at least semi-national.

This was not always the case though. Jewel and Dominick's are both home grown Chicago food store chains that were bought out.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by Savoir Faire

I think Harold's is over rated.

I have noticed over the years that the quality of Harold's varies widely from location to location. I recommend the 53rd and Kimbark location.

In Hyde Park Harold's is also very popular with whites.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

As previously mentioned, grocery stores operate on slim profit margins. Security costs, theft and lawsuits over parking lot crimes are what did in major grocery retailers in the inner city. There have been numerous closings of established Jewel stores thruout the years where security was a prime factor.

In the 90's a JF store on Belmont and Pulaski got robbed and the manager was shot to death. After a few more stick-ups in the parking lot etc., the corporate headquarters shut the store down.

People who get robbed or beaten on Jewel property often sue. At some point, The cost of settlements wipeout much of the profits from all the cheap produce and tuna helper that they sell.

Do you think thats why the Jewel at 4938 S. Kedzie closed? It was built in 1990 to a lot of fanfare... beautiful building, white brick, more than three times the size of the fifty-year-old one it replaced on fifty-seventh... it was the same store design that was built in one of the pricey NW suburbs the same year. As far as I know it was one of the only two Jewel/Osco's to have the white brick front.

It had to cost a good amount to build, because that was the former site of the GT roundhouse. It was sort of on a hill, and required grading and extension of utilities. I don't think Jewel paid for the construction though, they probably had the building built to their specs, and leased it on an triple-net lease.

By 2000 it was closed. Either they had only a ten-year lease, or they bailed early. The store seemed to be busy enough, but the neighborhood was starting to get more gang-related crime.

Around 1993 they changed store managers and brought in a lady who cut budget, and the store started getting dirty, being understaffed, and so on. She was a corporate shill who appeared not to care about the community. Customers were unhappy. (I worked there part-time from 1991-1994.) Before that change, we had a store manager who had a lot of pride, was visible (knew a lot of customers by name, especially the senior citizens) and kept the place spotless.

In the mid-90s Pete's Market bought the former Jewel at 5724 S. Kedzie and ran a clean, well-stocked store that attracted a lot of the Mexican residents who were new to the community.

Jewel kept the stores on 36th & Western and 47th & Marshfield open longer, which were stores I was scared to shop at night, so I never understood why they closed Kedzie. 61st & Western was one of the south side stores in our district, too.

[summer22]

Comparing north side to south side -- Jewel was also very slow to expand/replace its south side stores in good neighborhoods. Garfield Ridge had a tiny old store on Archer until the 2000's, which was at least ten years after people started "talking" about how the old one badly needed to be replaced. Mount Greenwood had an older store, too. Those neighborhoods were solid and it wouldn't have been a big risk to replace the 25+ year old buildings with new ones, but Jewel really took the slow route on both of those. The Archer store was probably closer to 60 years old. I worked there a few shifts for extra money once, it had the old-time freight elevator that took you into an ancient grocery stock room in the basement, and that was their only storage. Inefficent buildings that couldn't handle much inventory.

Garfield Ridge and Mount Greenwood are suburban income level enclaves within the city, but Jewel built heavily in the suburbs in the 1980's and 1990's and just ignored those city populations.

I was also surprised that they never replaced the 3033 S. Halsted store. People loved that store. Bridgeport is a solid community and people were really let down by that Jewel closing.

Just checked Google and that out-of-the-way, poorly lit, crowded, Jewel next to the railroad tracks at 36th and Western/Archer is still there, apparently. Don't know if its been remodeled in the 6-7 years since I was there last.

Isn't there a Jewel in 94th and Ashland that serves Beverly?

[mycrows]

Originally Posted by summer22

I was also surprised that they never replaced the 3033 S. Halsted store. People loved that store. Bridgeport is a solid community and people were really let down by that Jewel closing.

Fortunately, that building will be filled by Cermak Produce soon, which for me will be much better than any Jewel.

Just checked Google and that out-of-the-way, poorly lit, crowded, Jewel next to the railroad tracks at 36th and Western/Archer is still there, apparently. Don't know if its been remodeled in the 6-7 years since I was there last.

I think so. It's not a bad store.

Isn't there a Jewel in 94th and Ashland that serves Beverly?

Yup.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by mycrows

Fortunately, that building will be filled by Cermak Produce soon, which for me will be much better than any Jewel.

Good to hear it

[lalasidekick]

Harolds is almost strictly a southside thing. There is a west side equivalent i hear. Ive never been there so im not sure which would be better