Why I love The "Old-School" Grocery up the Street
When I lived on 9th Street I was closest to the Payless on 18th Street driving, and for a long time that was the grocery store I went to on the rare occasions I had cause to go grocery shopping.
Then I moved to an apartment with an actual kitchen and started needing a stocked pantry. About a month ago I stumbled on the Teal Road Marsh store. A neighboring businessman told me that they had gone downhill, but I needed to get some things, and I was already there, so I stopped in.
I relished it the moment I stepped in the door. Last renovated sometime in the late sixties the store screams retro from the mortar in the brick. It is clean, and it has good prices on staples along with the sort of diverse products that Walmart could never hope to have. The thing that really got me, though - the thing that keeps me coming back is the people.
Stepping into the Marsh on Teal Road is like stepping back in time forty years. The people are not only nice, but genuine. They love that you are their customer and they exude that from their smiles to their voices. They know they have a good store, and they know that is why you are there. The department managers walk the floors in button-down shirts and ties. They bag your groceries if there are no bag-boys available. They will even have a nice chat with you if you so desire.
Suffice it to say, I have never experienced anything like it, but it makes going to the grocery during the daytime fun again.
5 comments:
Actually the last time the Marsh on Teal Road was renovated was probably the very late 80s. Possibly the very early 90s.
Payless was purchased by Kroger about 4–5 years ago, and since then locations have either been renovated (West Laf, Tipp Mall) or replaced (Elmwood Ave, Old 231).
Marsh, as I understand it, has been able to avoid being bought out by a larger company, if only just barely.
I still like the "EuroMarsh" on 26E, but I rarely go there anymore. Kroger has, in general, a much better selection of natural/organic/vegetarian items, and between the new one on Greenbush and Nature's Pharm and occasionally Sunspot, I rarely shop elsewhere. Sometimes Target, especially if I'm there for something besides groceries...
Bah how can a Marsh be an old time store?
Now the now closed grocer across the way was an actual market in the old sense. When it just meant that there was a meat section a vegetable section and a dairy section under one roof. It could fit in most stores produce section.
Sniff sniff, I miss it, and wish I had enough room when they were selling their 50s era scales weights and butcher materials.
Karie, Fun to see your blog. Hope all is well. Have fun shopping at your local "old time" store. Tell everyone Hi for us.
Karie, Fun to see you blog. Have fun shopping at your fun store. Tell everyone HI from us.
Karie, Have fun shopping at your store. Fun to see your blog.
Tell everyone HI from us.
Leslie
Post a Comment