EarthFare opens in Charlotte

[hazardnc]

Today was the grand opening of the new EarthFare here in Charlotte.

I loved the store - wonderful selection of cheeses, prepared food options, and organic meats. I even saw Niman Ranch pork (though not the famous bacon).

I would have liked to have seen more seafood and perhaps fresh duck as well as bulk spices. However, having this store in Charlotte beats the heck out of driving to Winston-Salem for Whole Foods.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Charlotte, from all that I have read recently, has indeed broadened its gourmet options to the increasing delight of the locals! Thanks for this great news!

[phaelon56]

Where in Charlote is it located? Also... any idea when the Whole Foods in Elizabeth is slated to open?

[munchymom]

It's in south Charlotte, on Johnston Rd. just north of 485. The Whole Foods isn't scheduled to open until 2007.

I braved the opening-day crowds at Earth Fare today, and I'll definitely go back, but I don't think it will become my regular shopping place. I usually get natural foods at Talley's and cheeses at the Fresh Market on Providence or Dean and Deluca. If I were looking to buy meat, the Earth Fare selection is definitely superior to Talley's, and their baked goods looked good too. Their prepared deli stuff didn't look as good as Talley's to me though. They had a lot more "conventional" (as opposed to organic) produce than I expected.

[deibu]

The one here in Columbia, SC is packed everyday at lunch... I've been once and most of the items are not to my liking - too much underseasoned, undersalted bland vegan fare. I'm surprised it does so well, because most of the customers are older business-suit-types who I'd not expect to be eating lunch at a place like that at all. The meat is really good, but in my experience most of the prepared items and baked goods are only mediocre. It definitely serves a niche though. I also like their grab n go sushi for a quick lunch - it's much, much better than what you get at other supermarket carryouts.

Also I buy deodorant there - it's one of the few places I can get tea tree oil deodorant that is propylene glycol free and doesn't stain my shirts with my sweaty armpits...

[hazardnc]

I'm with you, Munchymom. The new Earthfare is over 11 miles away from my house. Most of the natural food items carried by the store can be purchased at Talley's or The HomeEconomist. The Fresh market's cheese selection has improved greatly over the years. And while I love D&D's cheese department and selection of cured meats, I have, on ocassion, been greatly disappointed by a cheese that had been wrapped in plastic too long.

I purchased a baguette from the bakery at Earthfare yesterday and it was not good. They did have some nice looking cookies and other dessert items that I did not try.

Their prepared deli stuff didn't look as good as Talley's to me though

I was in Talley's on Tuesday and I noticed they are gearing up to compete with EarthFare. They set up a table with soups and grain dishes for free samples and had many more items to taste than usual.

Items I saw in the meat case at Earthfare that I have not seen elsewhere in Charlotte: hangar steaks, fresh quail and fresh rabbit! In the seafood case there were lovely fresh pompano.

Earthfare is a bog boon to the folks who live is South Charlotte. Those of us who live closer to Uptown wait impatiently for Whole Foods. I fear that by the time they get around to breaking ground, other similar store will have established a strong hold and they will change their minds.

[hazardnc]

In the Charlotte Observer's business section, it was announced that Earthfare has already selected it's second Charlotte location - in a new center being developed at the corner of Saron and Colony in the Southpark area.

I am excited by this. We will probably have two Earthfares before Whole Foods ever makes it to town. I still wonder what the demographic gurus at Whole Foods were thinking when they have ingored our city for so long.

edited to correct typos

Edited February 7, 2005 by hazardnc (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Hold on there! I see that you already have a couple of Dean & DeLuca stores in Charlotte and we have none in a big city like Atlanta ...

[hazardnc]

Hold on there!  I see that you already have a couple of Dean & DeLuca stores in Charlotte and we have none in a big city like Atlanta ...

While Dean and Deluca is nice to have, it is not a great destination for food shopping. The Phillips Place location has a good albeit very expensive meat and seafood department. The produce section has been reduced to a very limited selection. The best thing D&D has to offer is its cheese department and the prepared foods.

Atlanta has, in addition to Whole Foods, the Dekalb Farmer's Market. Read Debbie Moose's article http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/liv...od/10790507.htm