Poster for Tuesday May 8 meeting

[Dennis Harris]

I have uploaded a PDF of a 8 1/2x11 poster I made for Tuesday's
meeting so that anyone can view and download it with this link:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwAz2pbFDqzpc2tvS3ZVZU0yeDA

I will only have time to post it at Foodland and a couple of other
places downtown. I urge others to download it, print it out, and post
it on bulletin boards to help get the word out. You can also email it
to friends and neighbors.

[Sally Schlichting]

That's a nice poster, Dennis, thanks for doing that.

[Greg Fisk]

Excellent poster, Dennis. Thanks. / Greg

[kimberly metcalfe]

Has anyone spoken with the owners of Foodland to see what they think? Rumors are circulating about interested tenants. It might be a good idea to know if they are contemplating a new tenant before people get too far ahead of the game.

---

From: Greg Fisk <akpr...@gmail.com>
To: juneau-f...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 6, 2012 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: Poster for Tuesday May 8 meeting

[Dennis Harris]

On May 6, 8:51 pm, kimberly metcalfe <kimmetcalf...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Has anyone spoken with the owners of Foodland to see what they think?
> Rumors are circulating about interested tenants. It might be a good idea
> to know if they are contemplating a new tenant before people get too far
> ahead of the game.

I spoke on Saturday after a Jazz & Classics concert to John Williams,
who is the leasing agent for the Rosenbergers. I told him that there
was a group of downtown residents who were interested in forming a
grocery co-op, and told him about Tuesday's meeting. He said that no
one had made an offer, but that he had received a number of requests
for information. He said that he would happy to talk to anyone that
had a serious proposal. Negotiations for leasing such a large space
often take a long time.

[Greg Fisk]

Hi Kim,

After you previous e-mail I spoke with Gary Rosenburger. We had a very nice chat. I am quite sure they are looking for another tenant. But he did not have any details and there certainly hasn't been an announcement. Another rumor has it that they are prepared to step in themselves to run a grocery store so as to prevent the space going vacant. In any case, I think the co-op idea represents an option for everyone in such a fluid environment.

Greg Fisk

[Greta]

Greg, it is rumored that the rent they are asking for is $90,000 a month. I heard this from a fairly reliable source. Do you think this is realistic for a co-op grocery?

About 10 years ago there was a co-op in Fairbanks and the reason it failed was the overhead was far too high. The co-op I worked at in Corvallis, Oregon was very successful and the overhead was very low because it is in a building on the outskirts of town. Is the Juneau co-op idea married to being located on Willoughby?
Greta
Sent from my iPhone

[Dave Hurley, Northwind Architects]

I can only speak for myself here, but it would be a terrible loss to the downtown area if it’s only full service grocer departed.  The impetus for looking at the co-op is for me, first and foremost, to assure that downtown will be served by a full service grocer – a roll a co-op could certainly fill.  People’s in Portland is a good example.  The overhead issue is real, and perhaps the current foodland space is not the right one.  I don’t think that a new store needs nearly as much space as the current store has to provide the service, but remaining downtown (which includes Willoughby for the sake of this discussion) is critical.

 

Dave

=

[Amber King]

I am also the new Full Circle Farm Alaska Site Sales Associate here in Juneau and plan on attending the meeting tomorrow.  It would be awful to see our only independent full sized grocery store (besides Rainbow) and create a food dessert in the downtown and Douglas area.  

SPREAD THE WORD. "it’s a long shot, but maybe if a few hundred people write in, Trader Joe’s would at least evaluate Juneau as a possible location. They have a “Location Request” form on their webpage. Here is the link: " (I would also consider a Whole Foods or  if someone knows of a link for a location request option.)   www.traderjoes.com 

Cheers,

-- 
Amber King
Alaska Site Sales Associate
FULL CIRCLE | Live the good food life.
C 907.209.2011 | 1.866.Eat.well
amber...@fullcircle.com | fullcirclefarm.com  

[Eva Bornstein]

Hi Amber,

Congratulations on your new job. Great idea about Trader Joe's. I had
to google the form because I couldn't find the link on their home
page, but I have submitted it.


Eva Varadi Bornstein
Program Officer
Juneau Economic Development Council
eborn...@jedc.org
907-523-2339
www.JEDC.org

Juneau Economic Development Council
612 Willoughby Avenue, Suite A
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Office:  907 523-2300
Fax:  907 463-3929

Celebrating 25 Years of Service:  1987-2012

[Dave Hurley, Northwind Architects]

Feel like I'm always the wet-blanket... Trader Joes has a number of
locations in Portland, and I'm familiar w/ all of them. They're great, but
do not provide much of a selection on the basics of produce, meat, bakery
and dairy. I suspect they have pretty strict business model that does not
leave much room for adjustment to meet local market demand. When in PDX,
I'd shop at Trader Joes, then go somewhere else for the basics. Might work,
but would not meet the need for a full service grocer.

[Greg Fisk]

Hi Amber et al.

Just as an FYI about Trader Joe's. We do no fit their distribution model, which is somewhat unique and completely truck based. I believe they have already responded to several people to this effect. They have even declined Anchorage, so I don't think they would change their mind for Juneau.

In addition - and this is a problem with all of the big corporate stores -they are not very community or local production oriented. It is very hard to sell anything to them that doesn't go through corporate HQ and is not aimed a very large audience. Think locally produced fis, or specialty items service our Filipino or other ethnic consumers. I don't think TJs fits the bill as a "full service" store. My two cents worth...

Greg Fisk

[Greta Wade]

Thank you, Greg, for your hard work. My concern is that the enthusiasm for a co-op grocery store is merely a reaction to the closing of the A&P grocery. The closing of the A &P provides a good impetus for the discussion but they are really two independent issues. All successful co-ops that I am familiar with started very small and grew to be larger after establishing a successful market. The idea for a co-op needs to be developed and after it is developed the search for a good location can be made within the outlined budget. It should not work the other way around, "we've got a good place now we need to fill it with a co-op--we better hurry."  This would be a very big mistake. How's that for a wet blanket??!:) Co-ops are wonderful business entities and a great asset to any community. Unfortunately, the cost of rental space in Juneau is ridiculously high and likely will not support such a venture, particularly in a central ($$) location. I do hope you have great luck with your co-op initiative meeting. It is a good start and hopefully it will lead to a successful co-op for Juneau one day. Greta --- On Mon, 5/7/12, Greg Fisk <akpr...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Sally Schlichting]

Greta, I for one, appreciate your comments about the challenges of pulling off a co-op.  I know that the Fairbanks effort has been in the works for what seems like years-- we're all rooting for them, but it's been a long road, I think.

 

I think you are absolutely right, these efforts take time and careful planning and hard work.  I also think there are many options on the table right now, and there's plenty up for discussion.   What the rent of the space is and how reasonable it is, is one issue.   How big a future downtown grocery store should be is another.   I think others here have mentioned something around half the size of the current store is probably more realistic, given the market demand, and the type of competition now present in Juneau, which didn't exist when Foodland originally expanded to its current size.  That was before Costco, before Safeway, before Walmart,  before the Fred Meyer expansion, etc.

 

We're in a stage of exploration into this idea.   Perhaps a grocery store of some sorts continues in the space in the near term, which could allow time for a co-operative or joint venture to gradually take over.  Perhaps our discussion and efforts don't lead to a co-op but successfully influence the next grocery business that does take over, to be sensitive to the needs and demands of the community-- focusing on local/regional grown produce and local harvested seafood, carrying the hard-to-get ethnic and gourmet foods, and doing a bang up job on the fresh prepared/deli foods front for busy moms and government workers.  I like to believe there's opportunity on the table.

 

Cheers,

Sally

[sweets...@gmail.com]

Can I pipe in? I am sorry I won't be able to make the meeting tomorrow, but I am doing my best to follow this conversation.

I live downtown and certainly want a thriving downtown market, but I agree with Greta. We need an established owner to move into the Foodland space to make a go of it. (I am hoping for Sagaya, a local-ish family run business, ethnically diverse and a real community center) 

There is another community that lacks it's own grocer and the rents are cheaper. With an expanded harbor, new ice rink, ball parks, schools, budding tourism, a theatre, government and private businesses, (not to mention all the people who live there!) Douglas has a real need of a quality local grocery.

There is a space available in between Perseverance and The Douglas cafe that in years past has been a bar, a liquor store, a school lunch prep space, and a costume shop, but it has sat empty for over a year. The owners are not interested in having a cafe in there, but they might go for a small co-op. The space is deep. The back third of it was devoted to coolers and still has the glass walls and doors from when it was filled with beer. Maybe the cooling system is still there. There is a bathroom, but I don't know if it is wheelchair accessible. Anyway, it's bigger than it looks and would be a perfect space. Douglas needs good food too.

Marta 

Sent from my iPad