Fresh and Easy

I'm super psyched about this store opening up in my neighborhood. The new Fresh and Easy has wide aisles, wide variety, good prices, nice carts. The size of the store (smallish) is also an advantage as far as I'm concerned. I especially liked the generic in-house brands (they have name brands too) with easy to read, no-nonsense labeling (unlike Trader Joe's). We'll see if they are more consistent in what they carry over time, unlike TJ's. The LA Times dubs it: Ralph's meets Trader Joe's (or was it the other way around?).

I bought milk (3.49/gallon), a whole chicken, a pint of those black oil-cured olives (packed fresh not canned), some fresh mozzarella, a pound of bacon, AP flour and a loaf of country white bread "artisan style". I'll add prices when I find the receipt! I KNOW the prices were lower than Ralph's, I'm going to compare them to TJs.

So far, the bread was just OK (like TJs, better than Ralph's), milk is milk, the chicken was good and cheap as I recall, haven't eaten any bacon, mozz or olives.

The store has more and better produce and meat options than TJ, in my opinion. That said, I think this store will replace Ralph's not TJ's, for me, as it has the staples that I went to Ralph's for. We'll see about prices versus TJ's and selection but so far this might be my one stop shopping. Yee haw!

Any company that relieves me of going to Ralph's is great. The Ralph's near me (corner of Colorado & Verdugo in Glendale) is a nightmare. And Ralph's is EXPENSIVE! I guess we can thank the unions for that, with baggers making more than CEOs. Thank the lord Fresh and Easy isn't unionized! And all this talk of unions got me thinking: where did the striking workers shop for groceries during the last strike? Not anywhere they hired replacement workers, right? But not at non-union stores either (like TJs), right?---that would be just as bad. So did they starve or are they just hypocrites? Which reminds me---it seemed like ALL the check out lines at Fresh and easy were self serve! Goodbye surly checker, hello happy new world!

One thing I forgot to check was the ice cream selection...that could mess things up if they don't have my preferred flavors/brands.

BUT, only in prosperous countries like America do you find peabrains protesting the arrival of a much needed retailer and foreign investment. These jugheads are upset because Tesco didn't open up stores in crime ridden areas. How about NO STORES! Is that better? As a letter writer to the Times noted (will add link when it's there), grocers are not social service agencies-it is up to the city and the residents to create an atmosphere likely to attract retailers. Also, some union agitators are there protesting the non-union work force. Well, what retailer in their right mind would hire union workers? Eventually you'll just go on strike AND you cost more! And then my prices go up and then I don't shop there! Of course, you are free to have your unions and I am also free to boycott union stores. Stupid unions!

Go there, shop there, take a stand----yeah Fresh and Easy!!!