Koby's Produce Town to be replaced by Viet Noodle Guy

Koby's Produce Town has permanently closed likely due to it's inability to compete with nearby Save-On-Foods and Whole Foods.  It also couldn't have helped them that they were very inconsistent stocking non-seasonal foodstuffs that should always be available.

Replacing Koby's is The Viet Noodle Guy opening in Spring 2018.

Which grocery name is next?

With Whole Foods having established itself in the Solo District as the 3rd major grocery store in the Brentwood area after Costco and Save-On-Foods, the question now arises of which grocery store will set up in the Amazing Brentwood location at Beta and Lougheed and later at the Concord Brentwood location on Dawson Street after Loblaw recently announced a store expansion.

Loblaws recently announced an expansion of stores across Canada and Brentwood would certainly make sense although Loblaw already has a foot in the Brentwood area through the recent opening of Shoppers Drug Mart in Solo District.

CBC Article Below

Loblaws to open 30 new stores in annual expansion

Up to 10,000 jobs could be added, company says, as it spends $1.3B renovating 500 stores

CBC News Posted: Apr 13, 2017 8:38 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 13, 2017 8:38 AM ET

Grocer Loblaw Companies Ltd. plans to spend $1.3 billion renovating 500 stores and opening 30 new ones this year, in an expansion plan that will include more fresh food offering at its Shoppers Drug Mart unit.

The grocery giant has made similar expansion plans in each of the past two years, spending $1.2 billion and adding 50 stores in 2015, and another $1 billion last year to do the same while focusing on upgrading existing locations.

This year's expansion will include "the continued roll out of Click & Collect e-commerce, improved health and wellness services, and the inclusion of fresh food at select Shoppers Drug Mart locations," the company said in a release.

Across all of its retail brands, the company currently has 2,400 locations across Canada.

The company says the expansion could add up to 10,000 retail, trade and construction jobs to its existing workforce of about 200,000 employees.

Koby's Produce Town closes its doors

Roughly a year and three months after it first opened its doors Koby's Produce Town has closed down. Sadly, I have lost the source of my favourite kimchi.  It probably struggled due to its close proximity to Save-On-Foods and Whole Foods.

Koby's Town Produce now open

When Kin's Farm Market closed at Brentwood Mall, the nearest places to get produce were Save-on-Foods, Costco or Buy-Low Foods at Parkcrest Plaza.  As of late June, Koby's Produce Town can be added to list of places to buy produce.  I was able to snap the picture below as they were closing up at 8:30pm.

Koby's Produce Town opening on Rosser Ave

I've recently noticed that a new produce store will be arriving on the scene at the corner of Rosser Ave and Buchanan St.  Koby's Produce Town will go head-to-head with Save-On-Foods and the incoming Whole Foods across the street.  Its arrival is a definite positive for consumers that have been missing the departed Kin's Farm Market.

It appears to be an independent store as a Google search did not turn up any pages other than broken links to the City of Burnaby website with a  "page not found" message.  It is not yet known when it will open.  If anyone knows. please post the opening date in the comments below.

Solo District's Stratus taking form

As the Stratus tower and Whole Foods continue to evolve, the Altus tower will begin to rise shortly.  When Whole Foods goes in there in 2015 with Shoppers Drug Mart arriving later, food choices will significantly increase.  With Loblaw having purchased Shoppers Drug Mart, the new Shoppers will surely begin to carry Loblaw food products.  These two additions will complement the existing Save On Foods on Lougheed and the Costco on Still Creek.

Photo taken this morning

Grocery store envisioned for Beta and Lougheed

I've heard from different sources that a food store on the corner of Beta Ave and Lougheed Hwy will be a part of Phase 2 of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment.  The arrival of this grocery store will result in 3 supermarkets along a 3 block stretch of Lougheed Hwy.  A Save-On-Foods is located at Madison and Lougheed and a Whole Foods will be located at Rosser and Lougheed where Phase 1 of the Solo District development is currently underway.

No Frills recently backed out of its plan to open a store at the Greystone Plaza next to Burnaby Mountain Golf Course.  According to the Burnaby NewsLeader article below, a SuperValu store is set to open there instead on May 22.

An explanation for No Frills backing out of Greystone might be that  it has plans to open in the Brentwood Town Centre but this has not been confirmed.  A No-Frills store might be a good counter-balance to the pricier Whole Foods and Save-On-Foods stores.

 

Supermarket set to return to North Burnaby location

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: May 14, 2013 11:00 AM

Mike Belich could be the most popular guy in North Burnaby.

As the franchisee of a new SuperValu store set to open in Greystone Plaza May 22, all he has to do is show his face and he's got area residents wanting to talk to him.

"I stand out here, the people queue up to talk to me," said Belich, who grew up in East Vancouver and now lives in Chilliwack. "They wait for me to come out and then ask questions."

And while Belich has been busy inside in recent weeks setting up the store, "I'm pretty sure every person in this neighbourhood for a mile around has peeked in the window."

Indeed, while he talks with a NewsLeader reporter outside, a man gets out of his car and shouts across the parking lot, "It's about time. We've been waiting two years for this place to open!"

After a quick friendly chat with Belich, the man turns to his father and tells him to "say goodbye" to the supermarket where he's been shopping in the meantime.

It appears customers at the location, on the corner of Burnwood and Greystone drives near Burnaby Mountain Golf Course, are a loyal bunch.

Ever since the former Marketplace IGA closed in that location in November 2011, the NewsLeader has received periodic calls and emails from area residents wondering when a new grocery store would be opening.

At first Loblaw Companies Ltd. said it planned to open a No Frills store there but by the summer of 2012, it was to be a SuperValu "due to a change in the strategy of the business," the company said at the time.

With many seniors living nearby without easy access to transportation, the location provided a convenient place to shop. Area resident Allison Johns said in an interview a year ago that the IGA also served as a community gathering place.

That's just the sort of store Belich hopes to create.

A second-generation grocer, Belich grew up in the business and is a meatcutter by trade. He's been in the business for 40 years and has also owned the Supervalu franchise in Deep Cove for the past 12 years.

The new store will target customers who like to shop for fresh groceries daily and will feature organic and natural products, along with meat, deli and bakery departments and a selection of items from Loblaws' brands, such as Presidents' Choice. "We want people to tell us what they want," he said.

He believes the lengthy closure of the location was due to construction delays before he got involved as the franchisee.

Some of the former staff of the IGA will be back and led by manager Michelle who has worked with Belich off and on for the past four decades.

At 14,000 square feet, the store will be known as Greystone SuperValue and be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Belich aims to offer "real personalized service," including home deliveries and phone-in orders, and be a place where people can grab a sandwich and coffee in an environment where staff know them by name.

"I'd like it to be a little place where you can pop your head in and say 'how's it going?'"

Greystone SuperValu, at 1601 Burnwood Drive, will open Wednesday, May 22 at 8 a.m.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

A place to buy organic produce: Kin's Farm Market

Whereas at one time the only place I could buy organic produce was at the Save-On-Foods at Madison and Lougheed, recently I've noticed that Kin' s Farm Market at Brentwood Mall has begun to add organic choices on its shelves. Although not having as much variety of organics as Save-On-Foods, the little produce store is beginning to get more of my shopping attention because it seems to have more "BC" or Canadian produce options than its larger competitor. If Kin's continues to add to its "organic" and "local"selection, I'll be happy to do more of my produce shopping there.

Brentwood Intersections: Madison and Lougheed

A SkyTrain car passes overhead at the intersection of Madison Ave and Lougheed Hwy.

Save-On-Foods (below) is the first major grocery store to arrive in the Brentwood core to serve the growing population. Winners is also located in the same Madison Centre complex.