Old Johnnie's Foodmaster in Medford has opened as Stop and Shop

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Finally, the Johnnie's Foodmaster at Rte 60 and the Fellsway in Medford has reopened today as the expected Stop and Shop.  It's spookily like shopping at Johnnie's, but it feels *wrong*.  Likely because of the Stop-n-Shop merchandise on the shelves.  It was kinda fun shopping with all the old customers, all moaning the demise of their local market.  Hey, at least the location is still a supermarket, and you can get milk/eggs/bread/etc.

I don't travel near the other old Foodmaster locations, have they opened as their expected Whole Foods, and is anything happening with the empty stores?

Comments

[ron_newman]

The Route 16 Foodmaster is still empty and (to my knowledge) unsold to anyone. The Beacon Street Foodmaster has Whole Foods signs on the doors or windows but I haven't seen any construction there yet.

To avoid falsely raising people's hopes, could you add the word 'Medford' to the subject line of your post?

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Edit to subject line done.

[ron_newman]

Thanks. I'm impressed that Stop & Shop could accomplish this in just seven weeks, when it's going to take Whole Foods nearly a year to reopen the six stores they bought.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

I'm just thankful that I don't have to travel an extra mile down a busy stop-n-go road to merely get milk.

[42itous.livejournal.com]

At the Arlington location it looks like they're working steadily to turn it into a WF. Is it really supposed to take a year? I was expecting it to take two months, maybe three tops.

[ron_newman]

My "almost a year" statement comes from news articles like this one in the Globe, which says

Whole Foods said it will remodel the Johnnie’s supermarkets, which average about 31,000 square feet, and reopen them as Whole Foods stores by fall 2013.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

I hadn't really paid attention to this store with the changeover, but that means there are 3 S&S along a 3 mile stretch of road. Probably not what they had envisioned in their master plan.

And for those who didn't notice, Shaws has been sold again. The investment firm that bought them (along with other grocery chains owned by Supervalu) has bought a grocery chain before and did a lot of cutting of stores. No plans announced with this acquisition, but give it some time.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Um, make that 4 in a 4 mile "run": 1. McGrath and 93. 2. Wellington 3. 60 and Fellsway (this one) 4. Turn right on 60, 1 mile to Malden just after the T stop.

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Just curious, to those of you who also shopped at the one at 16 and Broadway, where do you do your shopping now? I've been going to the Fresh Pond Trader Joe's or Pemberton Farms for most things, since both are on my way home from work, and Shaw's or CVS (Shaw's is way further out of my way so I mostly avoid it) for name-brand stuff that I can't get at the other two. There's also the little Indian grocery at Broadway and North Street where I go if I just need milk or eggs or something.

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

1./ I go to Shaw's in Porter Sq before or after I pick up my daughter at school. (Even though the Shaw's is closer to my daughter's school, traffic pattern is a hassle; I much preferred going to Johnnie's -straight shot up Broadway and back home.)
2./ I have a twice-monthly volunteer gig in Billerica which happens to be 5 minutes up the road from a Market Basket, so I plan most of my shopping accordingly.
3./ I walk to McKinnon's if I need meat or produce for dinner that night or next day.

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

One is never more than five minutes from a Market Basket in Billerica!

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Peapod is probably going to be my go-to once my classes start again and I don't have as much free time.

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I always forget about McKinnon's. Davis isn't really on my way anywhere, but it's not too far out of the way, so I should keep it in mind.