"the first domino to fall" (anti-Roche Bros scare flyer)

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

I noticed while out walking that all the cars on Hawthorne St. just outside the Sq had anti-Roche Bros flyers stuck on their windshields.

I like the part about if you are "against turning Davis Square corporate"  and the bit about the "first domino." Since we already have a Domino's (and a Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Au Bon Pain and some other national chains I am forgetting right now), I'm not sure what they mean aside from some cliched scare nonsense. Roche Bros is a locally owned chain of supermarkets and I think they would be an asset here.

The flyer is unsigned. From one of the merchants mentioned? Is there much opposition to Roche Bros coming in?

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Mom and pop businesses. Like Woolworth's!

[katherine fiorello (from livejournal.com)]

Ugh! The teacher in me wants to correct the grammar of this letter. I saw these too. The mystery author is being totally ridiculous. They in no way will compete with any of the small market businesses in & around the square-totally different target demographic. I went to Roche Bros' informational meeting & was very impressed w./ their business ideas for the proposed Marketplace. I've lived here for 13 years now & have wanted something like this for a long time. I think it will be an amazing asset to the neighborhood!

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

I'm curious: from what I've read, it seems to compete directly with Dave's and with Pemberton. How is the target different here?

[katherine fiorello (from livejournal.com)]

They are planning to have more general produce than what Dave's & Pemberton offers. Dave's & Pemberton have more specialized foods (ie Dave's artisan cheese & homemade pasta & pemberton's upscale & organic food & gardening center). They will be selling a lot of lower priced organic items too (they have a low cost organic line like whole food's 365) & locally produced goods too.

It seems to me that they are targeting the whole foods & tj's crowd & will sell other things like paper goods (tp, paper towel, dog food, etc) than what Pemberton & Dave's sell. The owner said they take into account the area & the specialities of their neighborhood & that they chose to not compete w./ those specialities. So, they most likely will not sell homemade pasta or pasta dishes.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Well, let's see here. It wouldn't be from Sessa's -- why would they care? They're going away in a few weeks anyway.

So who are the ignorant liars who want to want to stop a local business from coming into the square?

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

Sessa's has changed ownership but will still offer the same sorts of Italian fare (plus table service, apparently). Don't imagine they would feel any competition from Roche Bros.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Well known mom and pop stores like CVS and Tedeschi.

[ron_newman]

Nobody at the September 10 community meeting opposed Roche Bros. A few people had legitimate concerns about the logistics of deliveries and loading, which I expect Roche Bros. to address constructively.

[ron_newman]

other national chains in the square, besides the ones you listed: Chipotle, Orange Leaf, Pinkberry (maybe, if they ever reopen), Family Dollar, Rite Aid, CVS, H&R Block. I'm not sure if Boston Sports Club is part of a chain that extends beyond Boston.

Historically, the proposed Roche Bros. space contained WT Grant, a national department store chain.

I hadn't planned to attend the October 1 meeting, but now I may feel compelled to in order to support the Roche Bros. application (and the related Crunch Gym application).

[nathanjw]

Boston Sports Club is part of a larger east coast entity with branches in NYC, DC, and Philadelphia. http://mysportsclubs.com/

[alphacygni]

A similarly-scaled Roche Bros (this Brothers Market concept?) will be opening in Downtown Crossing near where I work soon, so I will get a look at what this might be like. But I am definitely excited and in favor so far. I had also assumed most everyone was for this and wasn't worried about it being easily approved, but now perhaps I'll keep a closer eye, even if I can't make the 10/1 meeting.

[ron_newman]

The downtown Roche Bros. will be much larger, taking up the entire former Filene's Basement. (And it will be called Roche Bros., not Brothers Marketplace)

[jesseh.livejournal.com]

The whole former Filene's? (My localista pet peeve is conflating Filene's the department store with the Basement....)

[ron_newman]

No, what I said -- the former Filene's Basement. Other stores and ofices will be occupying the ground floor and above.

[jesseh.livejournal.com]

Ah -- that makes more sense! It seemed big for a supermarket....

[ron_newman]

I think they will have a small first-floor presence but most of their shopping area will be in the basement.

[ron_newman]

Speaking of Domino's: how does that stay open in our neighborhood, when we have so many nearby local pizza delivery places?

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

Dunno. I've lived here @ 15 years and never once thought of ordering from them (same for Subway, fwiw).

[teko.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I've had long waits for expensive, mediocre local pizza, but Domino's is prompt, reasonable, and (as of recently) much improved. And while most of the pizza around here is thick crust greek-style, Domino's does thin cracker-crust style, which is pretty unique in the area.

[keithn.livejournal.com]

This. Domino's is better than the local pizza places and much faster. It's not surprising at all that they are successful.

I don't want to smear specific local pizza businesses but many are terrible, sorry to say. The ones that are OK are just OK.

One of the few things I really miss about living close to Cleveland Circle was the good pizza places.

[jducoeur]

I don't want to smear specific local pizza businesses but many are terrible, sorry to say. The ones that are OK are just OK.

Have to disagree here -- Posto's pizza is pretty excellent, probably my favorite in the Boston region. But it's not what folks think of as a pizza joint...

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

Commonly, such trouble comes from other grocery stores that don't want additional competition. But really, it could be anyone who sells food and sees the Roche Bros. as competition.

[ron_newman]

I got e-mail from the Zoning Board of Appeals saying that the meeting about Roche Bros. and Crunch Gym is delayed until October 15. I don't (yet) know why.

[katherine fiorello (from livejournal.com)]

Oh no! I hope the meeting delay was just due to a change in scheduling & nothing big. I really want Roche Bros to be able to move forward!

[ron_newman]

E-mail I got from Lori Massa at city hall: "The plans are not yet finalized and the parking study came to the office late last week. It should be going to the next on Oct 15. Hopefully the word gets out to those who are interested in attending."

[ron_newman]

Whoever made this leaflet is also posting to Facebook under the name Save Davis Square. He or she started this discussion and also this one in the Facebook group "Somerville - The Good Old Days".

[keithn.livejournal.com]

I reported this account to Facebook for using a fake name. If anyone else wants to, you can also do so, just click the elipses next to Message on the account timeline, click Report, select Report this account, select This timeline is using a fake name, and then Submit to Facebook for review.

[ron_newman]

I wish you hadn't done this.

Those of us who support Roche Bros. will win on the basis of better arguments and more numbers. We shouldn't try to silence the opposing side.

(And if Facebook does delete the account, I'm concerned that its owner will blame me for the deletion, since I've been arguing with it quite a bit online.)

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Blame you for something online that's not your fault and you had nothing to do with? What sort of crazy nincompoop would do a thing like that?

[keithn.livejournal.com]

I don't really feel strongly one way or the other about Roche Brothers, so I'm not trying to help anyone win a debate. I won't ever go there, but it seems better than an empty building or a Burger King.

Facebook is not a space for anonymous debate. Facebook is one person, one account, with their real identity. It was only a matter of time before this account under a fake name was disabled, and I doubt I was the first or last to report it or that I was solely responsible for it being disabled.

The fact that this person wasn't willing to post under their real name and the nature of their arguments probably indicates that they are a troll or are astroturfing on behalf of some other local business that doesn't want the competition. They should come out from the shadows if they want to be taken seriously.

I understand that you were having fun debating the guy, but come on, it was too easy.

[ron_newman]

For better or worse, the 'Save Davis Square' Facebook account disappeared about a half hour ago. Maybe it was because of your report, maybe not. I still wish this hadn't happened.