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Tag Archives: Safeway
Berkeley City Council to hold hearing on Safeway project
Even though the new Safeway store proposed for College and Claremont Avenues is in Oakland, the project will have significant impacts on Berkeley. To assess how the new supermarket will affect the Rockridge area, the Berkeley City Council will hold a special work session Tuesday night at 5:30 pm.
The city of Oakland sent a draft Environmental Impact Report about the store to Berkeley in July when the council was on recess. Berkeley is holding … Continue reading »
Tagged Farid Javandal, Safeway
Andronico’s files for bankruptcy
Andronico’s Markets, the 82-year old supermarket chain founded in Berkeley, filed today for bankruptcy in Oakland. Four of the seven existing Andronico’s stores are in Berkeley: on Telegraph, Shattuck, University and Solano (the original store, founded in 1929).
Berkeleyside reported on the financial difficulties of the chain in May, and on a short-lived recapitalization plan.
The company’s announcement quotes CEO Bill Andronico today: “This is a bittersweet moment in our history. We have struggled mightily to keep … Continue reading »
Tagged Andronico's, Berkeley Bowl, Safeway, Whole Foods Market
Locals protest scale, traffic of new Rockridge Safeway
Plans to rebuild the Safeway store on College and Claremont on the Oakland-Berkeley border have been on the drawing board for more than two years. In fact, the store has put a number of different proposals in front of the city of Oakland and local residents. And, while the latest design, by Lowney Architecture, has met with broad approval, the scale of the project and its impact on local traffic are still stumbling blocks to development.
Local residents and small business owners, from both sides of the border, came out in force to a July 20 hearing of the Oakland Planning Commission’s Draft Environmental Impact Report on the redevelopment of the store, which is at 6310 College Avenue. The turn-out was so large, the crowd had to move from the Planning Commission chambers to those of the City Council. The meeting was continued until August 3rd.
Current plans call for the Rockridge store to more than double its square footage, and they show eight new retail shops, a restaurant and an elevated walkway, among other amenities. … Continue reading »
Tagged Chimes Pharmacy, Denny Abrams, Rockridge Safeway, Safeway
Safeway buys Berkeley’s Chimes Pharmacy, to consolidate
Chimes Pharmacy, one of the last remaining independent pharmacies in Berkeley, will be turned into a Safeway Pharmacy on July 23.
John Gelinas, who has owned and run Chimes at 3210 College Avenue near the Oakland border for more than 25 years, sold the business to Safeway and will stay on as pharmacy manager.
“The main reason was I wanted to be a pharmacist again and not have to run a business,” Gelinas said.
The new Safeway Pharmacy will operate at the current Chimes location until the revamped College Avenue Safeway is completed. … Continue reading »
Tagged Chimes Pharmacy, Safeway
North Berkeley Safeway given green light to remodel
The renovations have been a long time coming, and, as councilmember Laurie Capitelli put it, the end result will not please everyone. Quoting Abraham Lincoln he said: “You can only satisfy some of the people some of the time.” However … Continue reading »
Tagged North Berkeley, Safeway
New plans unveiled for Safeway store on Shattuck
Safeway’s new designs for a remodeled store on Shattuck Avenue will make the grocery store an integral part of the lively Gourmet Ghetto.
The new plans, which were unveiled July 26, call for outdoor benches and café seating along Shattuck Avenue, as well as the installation of large windows that will allow pedestrians to see inside the store.
“Today’s design is a vast improvement over the current store — both inside and out,” Elisabeth Jewell, Safeway’s community and government … Continue reading »
Berkeley’s food meccas: The new religion
We couldn’t resist hoisting from the comments this reflection by EBGuy on food shopping as religion (prompted by today’s opening of Berkeley’s Trader Joe’s) :
I have a theory about Berkeley.* With organized religion on the decline, we look to food to provide a shared communal experience. Grocery stores are our cathedrals. Feel free to make your own list mapped to a different faith tradition:
Farmers’ Markets: outdoor tent revivalists. This is where the Food Fundamentalists go. Berkeley Bowl: non-denominational … Continue reading »
Paper or plastic? Or no real choice at all
The gentleman at the check-out (you know the one I mean — he’s distinguished-looking, always works the “15 items or fewer” register), was probably taken aback at how excited I was to see paper bags with handles this morning when I ran in to the Claremont Safeway to grab some groceries.
It niggles me the way that store pushes shoppers to use plastic bags — often a ridiculous over-abundance when they bag for you — by only offering as … Continue reading »
Tagged Paper or plastic, Safeway
Unions protest Safeway’s toxic cleaning
Two dozen janitors protested outside the Rockridge Safeway at lunchtime today, to draw attention to health, safety and environmental concerns associated with toxic cleaning chemicals used at local Safeway supermarkets. In wet and miserable weather, the protesters wore protective masks saying “Toxic Stinks” and “Green Cleaning Now!” The janitors are members of SEIU United Service Workers West, which has been negotiating with Safeway’s janitorial service contractors for the last three months over a new union contract, which would include … Continue reading »
Tagged Safeway
Plans for Safeway on Shattuck
Emunah Hauser writes:
The Shattuck Safeway community meeting Monday night at the East Bay JCC on Walnut Street was low-key. Visualizations of the latest plan were displayed around the room. Safeway representatives were available for questions, comments and conversation.
The plan will be submitted to the city by the end of the week.
17,000 sq ft expansion. Current store is 28,000 sq ft. Proposed plan is for the store to be 46,147 sq … Continue reading »
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