General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[Markster]

As in, you think the owners are white? How would it be possible to tell that? (Or are you just playing the percentages?)

The overall style of that sign is distinctly of the hipster/artisanal/antique-chic variety. I make no claim to know the owner's ethnicity, but the clientele of these kinds of places lean decidedly (upper)middle-class white.

[Spokes]

The use of DTK might hint that way too

[timio]

More details: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/video...tPageNum=1

[GtwoK]

2 floors, 5000 sq ft, a cafe, and run by locals who were upset at the lack of a spot to walk for groceries downtown? Who could ask for more? This is great!

[rangersfan]

Great news, wishing them all the best.

[JoeKW]

These guys never ran a grocery store before? That seems like a really tough undertaking. Hopefully the pent up demand will materialize.

[GtwoK]

Every grocery store owner has never run a grocery at some point in their life

[panamaniac]

I wonder it that puts paid to the idea of an urban supermarket in the American Hotel Block? Maybe we could get a decent LCBO instead! (actually, I sent an e-mail a few weeks back complaining about the pathetic LCBO in the plaza past the train tracks. LCBO responded the same day, but unfortunately it was to tell me that their current five year plan did not contemplate a new store Downtown.)

[MacBerry]

More details:  http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/video...tPageNum=1

and the winner is --> two hipsters (the guy has a great beard) who live downtown and my colour TV showed them as allegedly "white"

[REnerd]

Why is the color of their skin even remotely relevant to the conversation?  A bit silly imho.

[plam]

Why is the color of their skin even remotely relevant to the conversation?  A bit silly imho.

Affects which market they are likely targeting. Ethnic grocery stores like T&T or New City are not in the same market as hipster grocery stores.

[MidTowner]

Every grocery store owner has never run a grocery at some point in their life

Actually, I think (this is anecdotal) that it is one of those businesses where a lot of people grew up in it and took it over from their parents, or bought their own store. But it's a small sample any more: there are few large grocers run independently any more.

From everything I hear, it's a complicated, low-margin business. But having a café and a focus on value-added and ready-to-eat food might change the dynamics a bit.

[Spokes]

2 floors, 5000 sq ft, a cafe, and run by locals who were upset at the lack of a spot to walk for groceries downtown? Who could ask for more? This is great!

Wow, this is perfect.  Doing it for the right reason, that's what I like to see.

[Spokes]

I wonder it that puts paid to the idea of an urban supermarket in the American Hotel Block?  Maybe we could get a decent LCBO instead!  (actually, I sent an e-mail a few weeks back complaining about the pathetic LCBO in the plaza past the train tracks.  LCBO responded the same day, but unfortunately it was to tell me that their current five year plan did not contemplate a new store Downtown.)

That's baffling to me.  Just can't wrap my head around it.  Waiting would be a mistake for them IMO.

[MidTowner]

Having a monopoly on the sale of your good means not having to act rationally.