What will become of the Ball Square White Hen Pantry?

[ron_newman]

7-Eleven buys New England Pantry

I don't think this is good news for our neighborhood convenience store and deli: "The company anticipates that stores operating under the White Hen Pantry brand will begin converting to stores to the 7-Eleven brand in 2010."

Comments

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

I presume it means "all the reasons I've shopped at the Ball Square White Hen Pantry will be removed in 2010".

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

I know it's been a while since I drove past Trum Field, but isn't the convenience store on the corner of Cedar a 7-Eleven?

[soong.livejournal.com]

Yes.
And I too am skeptical of 7-11. I'm pessimistic they'll replace the decent food items with junk food. :-/

[rmd.livejournal.com]

it is.

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

Oui. It is.

[livingadream.livejournal.com]

The Ball Square White Hen has always been a bit on the shady side... spotty selection and that weird vat of pickles...

There is a 7-11 on Broadway at Cedar - but that place is sketchy too.... Maybe the Ball Square White 7-11 Hen will be much better.

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

The White Hen carries a small selection of interesting and real-sugar-based sodas, and the have from time to time carried Moon Brine pickles, which are made in JP and are the best pickles I have ever eaten.

A 7-Eleven will almost assuredly not carry these items.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

i kind of view all white hens as somewhat sketch

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[ron_newman]

I really liked having White Hen around the corner from me, at Mass. Ave. and Day Street, so I could get a sandwich made at 2:45 in the morning if I felt like it. The 'Bread and Butter Konvenience [sic]' that replaced it was much less useful and much more poorly stocked. The Pemberton Market that's there now is OK, but closes at 11 pm and doesn't make sandwiches either.

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

For example, why is the chicken sitting on what appears to be a toilet?

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

Meh. When I lived in Inman, I'd go to the 7-11 there often--the Slurpees are addictive--but I'd vastly prefer a White Hen or a mom-and-pop store. With another 7-11 just down the street, might they shut down the current White Hen (opening the space up for an independent store)?

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

i miss Wawa

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Mmm, tuna hoagie!

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

OMG! Loved Wawa growing up... Wawa and Hoagie Haven (for any Princeton alums/former townies). Nothing will surpass these IMO.

[ceo]

The article's headline is "New England White Hen Stores Join 7-eleven® Stores To Bring Consumers Added Convenience". I do not think that word means what you think it means.

[ron_newman]

Did I misinterpret something? The White Hen name and format is going away, as far as I can tell.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

It's called a press release. Less competition -> added convenience. This is absolutely horrible for consumers. I occasionally would shop at the White Hen. I will absolutely never shop at the 7-11.

[ron_newman]

But you ceo seem to be under the impression that I'm misunderstanding the press release. I do not think this is good news for Ball Square.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

I think ceo isn't questioning your understanding, but rather is sarcastically commenting on the press release's use of the word "convenience," as most customers (including yourself) recognize that this is not a good thing for them.

[yagagriswold.livejournal.com]

I think ceo agrees with you, and is suggesting that "convenience" is not the word he'd choose to describe the new state of affairs.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

there's a reason some of my friends call those things "inconvenience stores"...

#

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Maybe we can get the wonderfully misnamed "Mitchell's Convenience" back...

[yagagriswold.livejournal.com]

It was open when it was convenient for Mitchell, you see.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Except neither of them was named Mitchell...

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

ceo's riffing on a quote from the movie "princess bride".

[ceo]

smacaski and yagagriswold are correct.

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

I think ceo understood you. One of the characters in the Princess Bride keeps using the word "inconceivable" to describe nearly everything. Finally, another character says to him, "You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means", basically referring to their very divergent ideas of what honestly is inconceivable.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Maybe we get another burrito joint?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Maybe we'll get a Dunkin Fuckin' Donuts.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Split the difference: a Funkin' Donuts.

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

I don't think this works anymore. We only have 2 burrito places these days: Annas an Chipotle

[ceo]

How about a breakfast place?

[ron_newman]

Blue Shirt has wraps, which are sort of burrito-like.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

It's not a burrito, but it's a burrito-like substance!

[whitefire.livejournal.com]

I would actually welcome a burrito place right around the corner from my house.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I just fear them shutting down the location entirely. The other 7-11 isn't "just down the street," and it's also skanked out and full of nothing but junk food. I like the White Hen's pickle barrel and fancy cheeses. Also, I want the White Hen staff to be able to keep their jobs. They're nice.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

The workers are nice, and I don't want them to suffer, either. Still, I'd prefer not to have two 7-11s within a 5-minute walk of each other, and would especially prefer to have a locally-owned store in there that can more or less maintain the current selections. If the White Hen stays and switches to a 7-11, I think it's far more likely that their food options will degrade to match 7-11's junk food stock.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I don't want a 7-11 either. But no matter what, we need a store that sells some food and basics (toothpaste, TP, etc). I miss the CVS we used to have. I just hope it doesn't sit empty or or become a burrito joint.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

It's a decent walk to a burrito place from Ball Square.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

It's a short enough walk that I DO NOT WANT another one in place of my White Hen!

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

ball sq wine has plenty of fancy cheese selection now.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

If it still carries milk, tropicana OJ and snack items I'll be more than happy. When it comes to deli items, Victors kills them anyway other than the hours of operation (which have improved lately anyway)

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Yassir hasn't expanded in a few months. Maybe he'll want to "sandwich" Victor and family.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

It would suck for the workers at White Hen, but the quality there is pretty much nonexistent. After several crappy sandwiches, expired items, aphids in my salad, etc, I said "never again".

[sunshineyellow.livejournal.com]

I'm all for this. 7-11 means there will be an ATM convenient to my house and things will be cheaper. I hope they can keep some of the deli items around, but frankly, they're not that stellar, so it wouldn't be a loss.

[ron_newman]

Ball Square already has an ATM, at Winter Hill Bank. That's right across the street from the White Hen. It's even a member of the SUM network.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

nnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.