Eataly coming to New York (Plattsburgh, Italy: real estate, apartments, credit)

[DITC]

The powerhouse food store Eataly based in Torino may be coming to New York. I find this very interesting.

The Supermarket of the Future - The Atlantic (May 2007)

I will be fair and give the creators of this store their due credit for perhaps having the best all around supermarket in the world. This thing looks like it could put everyone else out of business. It has everything from a high demand cuisine for the one stop shopper. All that food under one roof makes me hungry.

This store's arrival would be a real sign of the Americanization of the world coming full circle as Italy of all places is brings a giant food mall with a cheesy American name. This business model goes against the Italian tradition of specialty shops. Personable customer service and relationships with your loyal client base in an intimate environment are out the door at a place like this. This mall of Italian food could hurt many small businesses in the New York metro.

[bmwguydc]

The concept is great, but hardly new to the American marketplace. Whole Foods and Upstate's own Wegman's both have concepts that have eateries, pizzerias, etc. Wegman's is more tied to its Upstate roots in offerings, though they do have some gourmet and international items; whereas Whole Foods has more in the range of organic items. Less mainstream retailers have had the concept on the West Coast, in the Orange County area, when catering to a predominantly Asian clientele, though the dining area is centralized as opposed to more boutique counters.

The author of the article did not look outside of the city to find the concepts that are operating under the different American chains before drawing the conclusion that the international market had to be that much better because it's Italian. Are such stores on 59th Street? No, but there is a Wegman's in the Tri-State Area, and Whole Foods has unveiled its concept in other East Coast marketplaces. The grandest of both Wegmans and Whole Foods stores are not in the NYC metro area, but that does not warrant a comparison that because something is Italian that its American counterpart is suddenly sub-par.

Part of the reason why such stores are not in NYC, IMO, is that traditional smaller specialty operations for fish, meat, etc. have existed for generations in the city. Thus, the gourmands know where to go, or the restauranteurs know, and provide the food to the marketplace through a different supply route. Other cities did not have the same level of expertise in a specialty supplier that people sought out for a particular foodstuff, so it was more of a natural progression to consolidate such operations in larger stores in those areas.

Eataly will be an interesting addition to the city's offerings, if, and when, the company seeks to open. However, the concept is not as simple as looking at the Whole Foods that exists in the TWC, or in Chelsea, and stating that it's akin to the staple of NYC groceries in A&P. I also don't like the implicit swipe at A&P, which is a venerable bread-and-butter market that supplies millions in the Tri-State Area with quality foods though its stores under its own banner and subsidiary brands. The chain is over 150 years old and started on Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan, selling tea, coffee, and spices. The company was originally named The Great Atlantic Tea Company (the original), followed by Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (after the Civil War), then shortened to A&P. And, from Vesey Street, it became the first national supermarket chain. But, I guess it's flashier to use the analogy of a Ferrari vs. a Chevrolet, which in this case was translated into supermarkets, to create an aura of exclusivity and something uniquely European in nature.

The hilarious difference is that Eataly is focused on canning and preserving, making one's own food. Well, they need to realize the average size of a NYC kitchen is tiny, comparatively, and the majority of people do not have root cellars, pantries, larders, etc. for storing large amounts of the food prepared. Most people don't even have the space for an accessory freezer or patry cabinet in their apartments, so that concept is not tailored to the American marketplace, but I guess there's more cachet in saying that because it's Italian they must know better.

My conclusion on this article is that it's a puff piece written to extol the virtues of yet something else European that just has to be better! But I would not sell the American chains short in that they have respetably begun to meet this need and concept in many markets. Why are they not in NYC? Probably because the concept would not work, being too expensive for the real estate, and an understanding of the market in that NYC residents generally do not have the time to cook a three-hour meal.

[DITC]

I know about Whole Foods and Wegmans. But they are both American. I was simply stating that we are seeing an equivalent come from abroad. The cycle has come full circle.

You make some interesting points. They could have overstated the Eataly quality in the article, but I am sure if a big box store like that is successful in Italy it has to have an excellent product. Italians are very picky and knowledgeable about their food.

I think many people (not everyone of course) will travel far distances for food and do already. The idea of a one stop shop will be appealing to many no matter where it is. I have met people from as far as Plattsburgh in specialty food stores who regularly travel for food runs, so distance will not be an issue to some. Not everyone is this ambitious though.

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by DITC

I know about Whole Foods and Wegmans. But they are both American. I was simply stating that we are seeing an equivalent come from abroad. The cycle has come full circle.

I agree with your points, DITC. It was the article that overstated everything about Eataly to which I was responding.