Price Chopper planning its "most ambitious project ever undertaken"
The restaurant area planned for the store.
Price Chopper announced today details for the "concept store" it's building at the location of its Latham store. The Chopper is pitching the project as "the most ambitious project ever undertaken" by the supermarket chain.
From the press release:
The most notable new feature will be a multi-faceted, full-service culinary offer in the form of 16 themed, fast-casual/cooked-fresh-to-order dining experiences, accompanied by in-store seating for 140 guests and seasonal outdoor seating. Among the moderately priced dining areas will be a Ben & Bill's NYC-Style deli; a Chef's Grill where a variety of specialty dishes - from steak to mussels to seafood to antipasto - will be prepared fresh for each guest; a Mexican themed restaurant featuring international flavors; a classic pizzeria, a meat rotisserie offering succulent pork and beef, in addition to poultry; an old-fashioned sub shop; a New England style fish fry restaurant, and a full-service salad and vegetarian/vegan bar, just to name a few. Other specialty restaurant concepts still being finalized will be unveiled in the coming months.
Also planned are a complete cooking school in which local/regional and national chefs and specialty instructors will teach recipes, techniques, trends and meal solutions for classes, parties and special events, the growing and harvesting of some fresh produce right in the store, and the building of a drive-through pharmacy.
More details and concept images are after the jump.
Price Chopper aiming to complete the store sometime in late 2013/early 2014. The company says it will also makeover eight of its other stores in the area over the next two year. Counting recently finished store remodels -- like the one in the Slingerlands -- PC says it will put almost $90 million into upgrading Capital Region stores.
Of course, all this comes in the context of much increased supermarket competition in the Capital Region:
+ ShopRite just opened its third store -- in Slingerlands, right across from a Price Chopper -- has plans for a fourth, and seems intent on going head-to-head with the Chopper.
+ Hannaford has been remodeling stores.
+ The Fresh Market is now here.
+ Trader Joe's opened this year.
+ Honest Weight Food Co-op is moving ahead with its new location.
+ Whole Foods is planning to open at Colonie Center sometime in early 2014.
+ And there's also the unnamed, unconfirmed chain that's reportedly been looking at the Latham Circle Mall site.
The competition is forcing everyone to step up their games.
Large format concept images are above -- scroll all the way up.
Here's the press release:
PRICE CHOPPER DETAILS PLANS FOR NEW CONCEPT STORE TO BE BUILT IN LATHAM
EXPANDED STORE TO FEATURE 16 QUICK SERVICE DINING AREAS ALONG WITH MAJOR RENOVATIONS AND
INNOVATIVE NEW FEATURES THROUGHOUT
Chain Reinforces Hometown Commitment with Additional Major Investments Across the Capital Region
(LATHAM, NY) Price Chopper Supermarkets today unveiled plans to build a multi-faceted new concept store in Latham (NY) that will combine a variety of fresh, made-to-order food service offers - both trendy and classic - with a robust state-of-the-art supermarket featuring multiple new offerings and amenities.
The soon-to-be named Price Chopper concept store has been in the planning stages since before July 2010 news coverage confirmed that substantial square footage adjacent to the existing Latham Super Center had been leased to accommodate expansion. It will be the first of its kind in Price Chopper's six-state, 130-store footprint, and is unquestionably the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the hometown chain.
"We intend to make this the store against which all other supermarkets in the area will be judged," said Price Chopper's Executive Chairman of the Board, Neil Golub. "Each of the concepts that we'll be previewing here has been designed to add distinctive and dynamic new dimension to the marketplace."
The new concept store will incorporate an additional 10,000 square feet into the store's current 80,000 square foot layout and entail a complete remodel from one end of the building to the other.
The most notable new feature will be a multi-faceted, full-service culinary offer in the form of 16 themed, fast-casual/cooked-fresh-to-order dining experiences, accompanied by in-store seating for 140 guests and seasonal outdoor seating. Among the moderately priced dining areas will be a Ben & Bill's NYC-Style deli; a Chef's Grill where a variety of specialty dishes - from steak to mussels to seafood to antipasto - will be prepared fresh for each guest; a Mexican themed restaurant featuring international flavors; a classic pizzeria, a meat rotisserie offering succulent pork and beef, in addition to poultry; an old-fashioned sub shop; a New England style fish fry restaurant, and a full-service salad and vegetarian/vegan bar, just to name a few. Other specialty restaurant concepts still being finalized will be unveiled in the coming months.
Also planned are a complete cooking school in which local/regional and national chefs and specialty instructors will teach recipes, techniques, trends and meal solutions for classes, parties and special events, the growing and harvesting of some fresh produce right in the store, and the building of a drive-through pharmacy.
Planning for the new concept store began in 2009 when Price Chopper decided to lease the adjacent space formerly occupied by Bon Ton. Construction is expected to begin within the next 60 days and will take 12-14 months to complete. The current store will remain open throughout construction.
In addition to this centerpiece investment in the Capital Region, Price Chopper also unveiled plans to renovate eight other stores over the next two years, bringing the company's total capital investment in the community to $43 million. This comes on top of a four-year $46 million renovation campaign that expanded and updated 11 other stores across the region between 2008 and 2012. In total, nearly $90 million will have been invested in Capital Region Price Choppers.
"The Capital Region has always been our hometown, so we've known for a long time that this is a great place to live, work and do business. This major investment, with our new concept store as the centerpiece, reflects our ongoing commitment to our hometown and to our customers," said Jerry Golub, Price Chopper's president and chief executive officer.
Find It
Price Chopper concept store (planned)
873 New Loudon Road
Latham, NY 12110
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Comments
Attempted Wegmans-ization?
... said Bob on Oct 5, 2012 at 4:42 PM | link
They actually emailed my mom about doing high end pastries for this. Seems pretty cool!
... said not saying on Oct 5, 2012 at 5:59 PM | link
I think Bob nailed it. If they do this right, the only thing missing is the Wegman's sign.
... said Code Monkey on Oct 5, 2012 at 6:54 PM | link
Ben & Bill's! Now they have my attention.
... said Ryan on Oct 5, 2012 at 7:02 PM | link
Wouldn't it be cheaper for them just to fix their crummy customer service.
... said Dan on Oct 5, 2012 at 8:03 PM | link
I don't understand why anyone would want their supermarket to get even bigger. I go to buy groceries - and a bigger store just means more distance between the things I want to buy. If the prepared food stations were off to the side and you they didn't get in the way of my shopping that would be fine I guess, but this looks like it is in the middle of the store...
... said Albany Landlord on Oct 5, 2012 at 9:59 PM | link
@Dan
Right on!
... said Mrs. M on Oct 5, 2012 at 10:19 PM | link
this Price Chopper grocery extravaganza leads me to believe more than ever that Wegmans is coming to Latham.
Would've been nice if PChops made all this fuss over customers before they had the fear that they might lose some of them to the Big W...
... said rebecca on Oct 6, 2012 at 7:57 AM | link
Please Price Chooper do something about prepared food to go at The Guilderland store. Twenty Mall. I would but so much if you had more than pizza, chicken and occasional bearable fixins. Thank you.
... said Albert Gnidica on Oct 6, 2012 at 12:52 PM | link
The strength of Wegmans is their quality Wegmans brand products and their superior employees.
... said Kathleen Lisson on Oct 6, 2012 at 10:22 PM | link
Do we need a bigger hint that Wegmans is moving in at the Circle up the road?
... said abby on Oct 7, 2012 at 5:25 AM | link
it would be awesome if they did ANYTHING with the Delaware ave store. anything. including gutting it and starting over. or hiring people who give a crap. or making the local people feel less like they are going to get jacked in the parking lot. or stopping people from parking in spots that aren't spots right in front of the store. or clearing out the crazies who hang out in front and yell. or making a 5 minute - get a few things trip not last 30 minutes because of long lines, unhappy workers etc. that store could be so much better if price chopper actually cared. i would rather have this than a million stores with prepared food and stupid cooking classes. sometimes i shop for things at walgreens (which is awesome btw) to avoid this place. not kidding! i just want a nice store i can walk to that isn't scary.
... said n on Oct 7, 2012 at 9:55 AM | link
How do you get people in the Capital District talking about Wegman's?
Step 1: Write an article that mentions Price Chopper.
Step 2: Publish and wait a few minutes.
I wish Wegman's would just open so people can start talking about what's really important - like why don't we have any 7-11's here???
... said Mike on Oct 7, 2012 at 10:38 AM | link
Not only would I like to see a Wegmans in Latham Circle Mall, but I'd also like to see a Nordstrom and/or an IKEA to keep with the upscale theme... I'm tired of every mall here having essentially the same anchors (Sears in Colonie Center, Rotterdam Mall and Wilton Mall for example... and Kmart does not really belong in a mall either) It'd be nice if they could update the movie theater to a modern one with (at least) 16 to 20 screens and full 3D and IMAX projection as well...
... said Danika on Oct 7, 2012 at 4:11 PM | link
I'm with Albany landlord, anything that increases the amount of walking I have to do within a store is a disincentive for shopping there. I almost never buy prepared foods anywhere, and I already dislike subsidizing the price of other people's gasoline at PC. This is just one more reason to shop at Hannaford, even though they are further from my home.
... said chezjake on Oct 8, 2012 at 11:40 AM | link
It remind me of a mall food court, and that's not a good thing.
... said Jessica R on Oct 8, 2012 at 5:26 PM | link
I know I'm old-fashioned, but I'm with Albanylandlord and chezjake. I go to a grocery store to buy groceries. Then I take them home and prepare my own food. That this is a foreign concept to so many people is just stunning to me. All this excitement about all these chain supermarkets seems to come down to all the prepared foods they have. If you want your food made for you, go to a restaurant. Now get off my lawn!
... said Carl on Oct 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM | link
It feels like I'm reading The Butter Battle Book. We're all going to get fat feeding the grocery industrial complex.
... said Jackers on Oct 9, 2012 at 10:51 AM | link
Hmmm, wonder if they are encouraged by the long lunch lines at Panera & DiBello's. I do hope they fix the parking lot as part of this expansion/renovation... something is wrong with the layout or the size of the spots. It's just awkward.
... said EAC on Oct 9, 2012 at 11:05 AM | link
Sounds like they are trying to copy Wegmans. Sigh.
How about they work on improving all their stores so I'd actually want to shop there first. Customer service, fresh produce, etc is all lacking.
... said Diana on Oct 9, 2012 at 11:15 AM | link
Even the colour schemes in those 'concept images' are a direct match to Wegman's.
In fact, they pretty much exactly match the interior of the Wegman's in Scranton.
... said komradebob on Oct 9, 2012 at 2:56 PM | link
Why would you need to shop for groceries at this store if there is all this food that they can cook for you?
It would be neat if they could offer an all-you-can-eat option for around $12 or less.
... said Joe on Oct 9, 2012 at 5:14 PM | link