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Screw Whole Foods. What RI needs is Wegman's! I mean I like Dave's, but S&S is horrible and they really do have a monopoly. At least they have the Market Basket in S Attleboro now, hopefully they'll expand locally.
I honestly think 5 Guys is way overrated. They were great when it was a new thing in town, but I swear the last time I ate there it's like the burgers shrunk by 40% while the prices were unchanged or higher. Really, I think Chic-fil-a and Chipotle are the only fast food joints worth going to anymore. And oh yeah, Walt's RB. Please tell me they are still around...
I don't see how S&S have a monopoly if I manage to shop every week without going there. I can go to 5 or 6 different chains without ever stepping foot in Stop and Shop.
5 guys is alright but there are so many better local small businesses to patronize for a burger, especially in RI.
There is probably more retail on the Rte 1/Rte 1A in South/North Attleboro than Seekonk. A three level indoor shopping mall and nearly every big box retailer are in the stretch from Rte 95 to 295.
That's a good strip, and you can't beat the mall, but I think I didn't include it because it's not directly connected to Rhode Island. Route 6 is also in Massachusetts, of course, but it touches and even extends a little into East Providence. By the time you approach Pawtucket, the big-box stores and chain restaurants have petered out on Route 1. Plus there's no Chick-fil-A, past, present or future!
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandsonik
5 guys is alright but there are so many better local small businesses to patronize for a burger, especially in RI.
I love small business and Rhody does it very well, but for whatever reason there aren't very many small businesses anywhere where you can just walk up to the counter and order a burger.
That's a good strip, and you can't beat the mall, but I think I didn't include it because it's not directly connected to Rhode Island. Route 6 is also in Massachusetts, of course, but it touches and even extends a little into East Providence. By the time you approach Pawtucket, the big-box stores and chain restaurants have petered out on Route 1. Plus there's no Chick-fil-A, past, present or future!.
The Bristol Place Shopping Center which starts the Rte 1A/Rte 1 retail corridor is tens of feet from the Pawtucket, RI border (similar to EP and Rte 6). Bristol Place has a Home Depot, Bob's, Bob's Furniture, KMart (which will be closing), and a Market Basket. A Cardis super store is just a few hundred yards up the road on the other side of Rte 95. A large number of Rhode Islanders that frequent this retail corridor get there from the Rte 95 Exit 2 located right at Bristol Place.
The Bristol Place Shopping Center which starts the Rte 1A/Rte 1 retail corridor is tens of feet from the Pawtucket, RI border (similar to EP and Rte 6). Bristol Place has a Home Depot, Bob's, Bob's Furniture, KMart (which will be closing), and a Market Basket. A Cardis super store is just a few hundred yards up the road on the other side of Rte 95.
True, but after Cardi's it turns into this for a while before you get to the dense retail again:
Eh, Rte 2 is a Sh*t storm in peak hours just like route 1. Rte 6 is much easier traffic wise. I thought we were comparing stores
We are but it's pretty relevant to this thread, to point out pros and cons of both. If one specifically needed to go to say, Best Buy, and they lived in Providence; Rte. 6 would be less of a hassle and therefore more appealing than either Rte. 2 or Rte. 1.
I believe Rte. 2 must be bad during rush hour, but I've been on it at various times (weekends included) and don't recall major issues. Especially around the malls, you have Rte. 5, 295, 37, 117 all crisscrossing the area providing many alternate routes and usually a relatively easy escape when needed. Rte. 1 up by the "million dollar mile", I won't even attempt it on a Saturday (at any time).
As for going OT, that first happened when somebody thought to bring 1/1A into this discussion in that the OP was discussing two areas containing a Chic-fil-a. But with that said and done, we may as well include Rte. 44 now.
I don't see how S&S have a monopoly if I manage to shop every week without going there. I can go to 5 or 6 different chains without ever stepping foot in Stop and Shop.
Providence may be the exception, but it seems everywhere else it's basically S&S or Walmart. Shaw's is pretty much gone, not that that was a great loss. Dave's isn't bad, but it's a little pricy to rely on for your primary shopping needs.
We are but it's pretty relevant to this thread, to point out pros and cons of both. If one specifically needed to go to say, Best Buy, and they lived in Providence; Rte. 6 would be less of a hassle and therefore more appealing than either Rte. 2 or Rte. 1.
I live in Providence and I go to Warwick for everything. I only get on 195 if someone is paying me to go there or if there's someone I really want to see at the Narrows. You have to add in the hassle of 195 to the hassle of Route 6. I agree that Rte 1 gets horrifically gridlocked often but for store availability they compare favorably.
Providence may be the exception, but it seems everywhere else it's basically S&S or Walmart. Shaw's is pretty much gone, not that that was a great loss. Dave's isn't bad, but it's a little pricy to rely on for your primary shopping needs.
Price Rite is cheaper than all those, as well as Save a Lot and Aldis, which I don't personally care for that much. The Shaws in Garden City is always busy when I go there. A lot of places have smaller options too, whether it be Shores, Roch's, Jerry's, Armando's etc. It's not all about the giant chain. I guess if you only look at mega chains, option can seem limited.
Maybe I'm not typical because I go to different stores for different things. So I would never rely on Dave's for everyday, inner aisle needs. That's what Price Rite is for.
I live in Providence and I go to Warwick for everything. I only get on 195 if someone is paying me to go there or if there's someone I really want to see at the Narrows. You have to add in the hassle of 195 to the hassle of Route 6. I agree that Rte 1 gets horrifically gridlocked often but for store availability they compare favorably.
I don't go there anymore either
But where in Providence do you live? I thought you were down in the Reservoir area, which would naturally be closer to Warwick. My point was for someone who lives equal distance from both, I can't imagine the trip from the East Side or Elmhurst (whether via. Reservoir Ave. or the highway) would be any better than 195.
Price Rite is cheaper than all those, as well as Save a Lot and Aldis, which I don't personally care for that much. The Shaws in Garden City is always busy when I go there. A lot of places have smaller options too, whether it be Shores, Roch's, Jerry's, Armando's etc. It's not all about the giant chain. I guess if you only look at mega chains, option can seem limited.
Maybe I'm not typical because I go to different stores for different things. So I would never rely on Dave's for everyday, inner aisle needs. That's what Price Rite is for.
OK fine, I'll rephrase that by saying S&S has a monopoly on the big chains. Those other places serve their purpose and work for some, but most people need one of the larger stores at some point. Lots of people (including myself) have special diets or other needs where Price Rite or the smaller independent stores with lesser variety are missing half the things on one's list. I've been known to shop at different stores depending on what I need for that day. But generally going to Price Rite for the maybe two things I might find there, just isn't worth the trip (although they surprisingly do have some decent produce).
I remember Roch's being a dump, and a ghost town the few times I been in there. I guess it's a good place to buy meat, not sure how else they would stay in business other than the many local EBT swipers some of whom are on foot (maybe I was there the wrong time of the month).
Speaking of monopolies, it's funny because Hannaford has the same kind of dominance in my current state of Maine that S&S has in RI/SE MA. I would take Hannaford ANY DAY over S&S, but of course their 2 parent companies recently merged. Not sure what will happen in the end, but it would be a tragedy if they all took on the Stop and Shop brand (and kill much of the competition in parts of MA).
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). 
(and kill much of the competition in parts of MA).
