Figs in Cameron Village

[wcmckinney]

Has anyone been to the new food boutique Figs that opened up in Cameron Village? I believe it is near the Fresh Market there. Though it seems to me that the Fresh Market has trouble doing very well there. so why would you open up an even smaller version of it in the same shopping center (not to mention having a Harris Teeter at the front of the shopping center)?

Regardless, I would be interested to know if anyone has been in it yet and what they thought of it.

[Varmint]

I will be going there this weekend and will post a report.

[Guilty Gourmand]

I ducked in briefly last weekend but did not sample anything other than a cup of coffee which was pretty good. OK looking salad bar, small steam table and soup stand that looked okay. Overall, however, I didn't see much of anything in the way of fresh produce and only limited grab and go stuff. Was really mainly curious about the cheese counter which I found very limited. It's early yet though so I hope they are just getting settled in and will expand. I think a well done boutique food store and salad and sandwich counter (say like the Dean and Deluca in Charlotte) could put the Faux Market out of business around there. I am ashame to say I keep giving them another chance and am continuingly disappointed.

[JennotJenn]

Figs? Feh.

Unless they get more stock in, it's not going to make it. I ran in around lunchtime recently and they had a buffet-style thing going. Food looked dried out and nast. It's totally nothing special. And no wine or anything.

I live like, 1/2 mile from Fowlers, so I'm biased. It's directly on my route home, and while the coffee and dry goods are overpriced, the wine/beer, cheese and meat (though not the seafood) are about going market rate. I love that place.

[phlawless]

I went a couple of weeks back, and I wasn't terribly impressed. It has a NOFO feel to it: lots of overpriced ethnic goods and gifts displayed in 'vintage', i.e. shop 'n go, refrigerated equipment. Honestly, I did not sample any of their prepared food, but it did have that stale steam table look to it. If I'm not mistaken it was opened by the Catering Works folks, who have a reputation for mediocre fare for massive crowds. I don't think they are trying to compete with the Fresh Market, they seem to want to appeal to the ladies who lunch and shop crowd (NOFO).

[Varmint]

Why, WHY, won't someone open up a food store that actually cares about the food first? I'm really tired of these fru-fru "Junior League" food-oriented gift shops where you can't even find a decent bottle of olive oil. It's tiresome, and although I never want to wish failure on honest businesspeople, I fear that Figs will be successful, spurring on the creation of even more of this wastes of space.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Why, WHY, won't someone open up a food store that actually cares about the food first?

←

possible answer to your question may be somewhere here?

Specialty grocers growing their Triangle footprints

Competition could be heating up among specialty grocery stores, with a developer laying plans for an upscale shopping center anchored by a boutique food store.

but this appears to be more of the Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Earth Fare phenomenon ... all of which no doubt qualify as "boutique" ...

and, if I understand you correctly, Varmint, the options are the extemes of the local farmers' market with the boutiques on the extreme other end?

[Gifted Gourmet]

different article on this topic ...

While Figs Market, with its deluxe inventory and its high profile Cameron Village location, has been getting the lion's share of press lately, several smaller specialty markets have been quietly been making a few wavelets of their own:

* Jerusalem Bakery & Grocery opened two weeks ago in Mission Valley Shopping Center

* Harmony Mediterranean Market has been open for two months in Cary Village Square, selling primarily the goods of owner Macmeddin Beder Doguc's native Turkey

* A&S International Market focuses on the foods of Central and Eastern Europe -- with a smattering of goods from the Mediterranean and elsewhere

* A&C Supermarket in Raleigh.... devoted to Asian products, it is the Triangle's largest ethnic market.

* recently completed expansion and renovation of Grand Asia in South Hills Mall has raised the bar.

* In North Raleigh, Jamaica Marketplace has been selling a full line of Caribbean groceries for two years.

[debbiemoose]

I, too, was disappointed in Figs. Nothing special there, and not much of what is there. Decent salad bar, but dressings taste right out of the bottle. I was sorry, because I'd love to see a really good food market in that location. I long for a Southern Season in Raleigh! In the meantime, I'm going to check out that Turkish market in Cary.

Debbie

[Tela T]

Yep, it would be one thing if FIG is a starting place - but I doubt it.... My husband did try one of the desserts and he liked it - although it's hard to tell with a such a small taste they were doling out...

And on visiting Fresh Market - have they reduced their wine selection or is it my imagination? Now, granted we don't get to Raleigh from the west coast often, but we always make it around to the good markets to compare how Raleigh in particular is doing in comparison to Northern California (they are making *some* progress). GG - we'll have to try those other markets you'd posted - they sound wonderful! I agree that for such a large store - they hardly seem filled....

Edited January 9, 2005 by Tela T (log)

[jdanton]

I think the Fresh Market has greatly reduced their wines, I don't really know why. Maybe they changed buyers.

[debbiemoose]

The folks at Figs say they are still adding items and tweaking their selection. I plan to keep checking in. It would be great to have a good gourmet food store in that location and it would be nice to support a local business.