Secrets of the City

I keep going back for the meat. I love Farm in the Market. They have fresh, tasty meat. Their steaks are especially awesome. I also buy a lot of our dairy goods from them.

Then there is the one stop shopping for my Latino and Asian foods with United Noodle and that Lation place in the corner. By-more Meats has great Chivo and Barbaccoa for tacos at home also.

On top of all this, the greatest food court in the world.

In all, we are pretty depressed by this article in my house. We want it to succeed because it is good for the community and because we love to shop there.

I live there and have some definite opinions. Many months ago I expressed a fear that this project was too reliant on government subsidies and that market demand may not be enough to keep it afloat. It seems at this point that is true. Skipping over many other problems, the place is just too damn expensive. I don’t know about the more ethnic options, but Jakeeno’s and Andy’s Garage are so over-priced it’s laughable. The grocery market is a pseudo-Kowalski’s and doesn’t even give you a basket to carry your over-priced oranges.

I do hope the market turns into a long-term success. But sadly, it is a good reminder that demand exists in the consumer market, not the hearts of do-good public officials.

Some good ideas in the article — I think making it look more festive from the outside is smart. I find the layout of the market to be a nightmare. Some restaurants are tucked into corners of the building, and hard to find. Maybe more signs, directing people as to where things are. Bright colors, exciting design, that would be helpful.

I occasionally eat there for dinner– and it is empty at night. I guess the residents upstairs aren’t enough to keep it hopping.

i went there once for dinner, stood at the counter at three different restaraunts, and no one ever came to help me at ANY of them. Eventually i left and went somewhere else. it was desolate and creepy in there, and all the shopkeepers just stared at me with a mix of anger and desperation (which doesn’t really make me want to go into their stores). It was about the least conducive environment to shopping i could imagine. They may want to work on improving customer service and not intimidating visitors.

Judging from the article, three quick steps would be:

1) free parking in the evenings, and any other times when the lot isn’t full

2) signs making it easier to find places — or even a different organizational structure — because it’s sort of a hodgepodge of businesses, and the maps don’t really help

3) shopping baskets or bags (think, junior-size Ikea bags) that can be carried throughout the center

4) marketing the midtown center to local neighborhoods. The focus seems to be on commuters

The produce store there is great! It is far cheaper than Kowalski’s and the quality is excellent. I recently bought boxes of clementines for $3 apiece and mangoes for $1. I don’t remember the other prices, but they were all very good. (Don’t try to buy other staples like milk or pasta at the produce store — those are expensive.)

And the produce store does indeed provide baskets — big round blue ones that collapse.

I buy all our chicken, dairy, and fruit from Midtown (Farm in the Market will keep your purchases in the fridge for you while you shop elsewhere) and we always stop for lunch at Manny’s or La Loma.

I would be crushed if Farm in the Market couldn’t keep their space.

It’s ludicrous to think that Allina workers and project residents could keep the place afloat. For one, duh, the workers are only there in the day and, newsflash, I don’t think many are in to squid tacos (an actual menu item). Second, I don’t think the Chicago Lofts are selling well. I saw an ad proclaiming no association fees for six months or some time like that. There aren’t an awful lot of lights on up there at night and the private parking garage is not half full. My opinion as I was house hunting was that they were decently priced but the floorplans are atrocious. Where I live, across the street, is about 1/2 sold but an interesting note I learned is that every buyer is single. Not one married couple as of when I moved in last month.

I would probably shop there except it’s all the way across town and I don’t like riding the nos. 5 or 21 buses.

Good point about the prices, Kevin. They always seemed high to me too. You end up dropping close to $10 for a sandwich and a soda.

kwatt, excellent points in both posts. in “the hearts of do-good officials” rings painfully true. I think the entities that funded and invested their hopes and money into this had way too much of their own idealistic agenda as their vision, and not enough of the consumer/market reality as their agenda.

Counting on Allina employees to help keep it afloat was mistake #1. Come on. I’d bet money that most people who work there live in the suburbs, and are far more likely to stop into MGM for an ‘exotic’ lunch once a week (or less, and when they can afford it) than actually do their grocery shopping there. And speaking as someone who works in health care, believe me, at the end of your day, you don’t want to go grocery shopping in some confusing rabbit warren; you want to get out of there and get the hell home.

The parking is atrocious. It should be free and plentiful; I suspect that’s been helpful in keeping the MOA in good graces all these years. People simply don’t like to pay for complicated parking. I don’t, and it’s one of the reasons I dread going to MGM.

It’s uninviting. A) The neighborhood is still questionable (and I grew up there!) B) the exterior facade doesn’t exactly trumpet a welcome and C) it’s waaaaay too cluttered, unorganized, chaotic and inconvenient on the inside. That’s fine for me, but the prices for most things at MGM would attract a middle-to-upper class demographic, and I believe that most middle-to-upper class people, (educated as they may be), like things to be streamlined, quick, attractive, well-designed, and a bit simplified. Sharon Shoreview who works in accounting at Allina doesn’t have time to study a map, hunt for non-existent signage, blow by 5 merchants selling cheesy handicrafts to get to the grocery, and figure out how to cart her perishables back to work. Toss in getting glowered at by unsmiling merchants and security guards, and there you have it. I don’t think Sharon Shoreview is going out of her way and spending money for that kind of 3rd world experience when she can stop at Cub a mile from home. It’s just the sad reality of our world.

Farm in the Market does have great stuff that’s worth the drive, the parking, and the price! But the article makes the other grocers sound so pitiful, which is BS. Their produce sucks. Every time I’ve been to the little grocery in the center of the market, all their produce is super-overpriced, and what isn’t is on its last legs – that’s why it’s cheap! I am not going to pay a $1.09 for an tiny orange that’s halfway dead, sorry. If I’m going to pay that much for an orange it’s going to be a big, nice organic one that will keep a day or two at least. Their produce sucks because it’s not being rotated and turned over, because it’s not selling. For many reasons; see above.

That’s my old ‘hood, and I had mildly high hopes for some crossover success (by that I mean white, upper-middle-class people actually shelling out their money for squid tacos and African food, as opposed to just people belonging to the ethnicities that have businesses there shopping there, like Mercado Central) but I doubted it from the beginning. I think the developers and investors’ eyes were all too big for their stomachs. The demographic they were hoping would latch onto this concept simply isn’t sophisticated enough for it in this part of the country. I think they could save it, yes, but not without some substantial losses, some substantial work and substantial re-grouping and reflection. I will continue to support it, but I’ll have very little sympathy if they don’t change some things then don’t succeed.

I’d probably go there, but it’s not near where I live or work (I tend to do my grocery shopping on my way home). If it was closer to the light rail, I’d probably have been there by now.

My wife and I swing stop in a couple times a month. We like the variety of dining options available, but end up splitting up so we spend less time waiting in lines.

Has anyone ever been to an indoor world market somewhere else other than MN? Milwaukee for example? let me tell you something..

they should be ashamed for the lack of world in world market

Different restaurant from different cousins and a couple of branches from stores that are already in the neighborhood DO NOT make a world market. The reason why this one is going downhill is because of a number of factors and the most important ones are

1) variety grade zero. where is the spice store? Where are the fishermen? Where is the wine? Where is the cured meat, sausage guy? Its all restaurants, and in reality, people do not want to go to a type MOA environment, eat and go home. We go there to shop for things that we cant find any where else. If I see another goddamn vase store am going to snap.

2) parking.

3) Area is too intimidating for people who hate E lake. You have to change peoples perspective about the area before you lure them in. and in MN where people seem to think we have an Asian Problem and a Somali Problem its too damn near impossible. So you end up with people who live in the area visiting there all the time, but they are too darn poor to buy anything

4) get rid of infusion places, like Jamaican Hawaiian and Japanese Russian eateries. They represent nothing and lack identity and end up being a joke. Bubba Shrimp Shack style.

I eat there once or twice per week, as I live right down the streets. It is dead in the late afternoons, but it’s always packed around lunch time.

Noooooooo. This is very depressing. We go a few times a month as well. We eat and buy meat and produce. While the restaurants may be a little high priced, the produce is very, very inexpensive – particularly for the quality. I’ve also noticed that Holy Land occasionally runs a coupon in the Strib for a cheap rotisserie chicken, so there are ways to go there and stay within budget. I also don’t get why the Allina folks don’t shop as they are leaving work.

To be fair, there is lots that can be done to make the place better. I go for food. I don’t understand many of the trinket shops. I also agree that making it more festive and having maps would help.

We looked at the condos and literally laughed at some of the layouts. I couldn’t imagine having a bedroom without windows.

Those layouts are pretty common for conversions in the Warehouse district (where I’m looking). When you start with a big boxy building, most of the units will be long and narrow with only one set of windows. It’s not what I want–my current apartment doesn’t have windows in the bedroom and it sucks getting up this time of year. However, there are also people that spend $$$ to buy blackout shades to prevent a single photon from entering their bedroom.

I only ever go there for dinner. I never even occurred to me to shop for meat/produce/groceries there. But that’s mostly because my eating habits are atrocious.

I still can’t believe that the market was open for something like two weeks before it’s “Grand Opening” and you would never have known. Not one indicator from the outside that there was anything happening inside.

Free parking would be awesome. I usually bike over there, but I’m wimpy in the winter.

where is the spice store? Where are the fishermen? Where is the wine? Where is the cured meat, sausage guy? — Amen. And how about a bakery? A bakery would be nice. A real bakery, not a cafe that happens to sell baked goods. I mean, in addition to the Mexican bakery.

Having just visited Pike Place Market, it’s safe to say that MGM is no PPM. It could be, but it ain’t there yet.

Why is my experience there so different from others? I’ve never met a crabby employee. I haven’t been stared at. The produce has always been fresh and reasonably priced. The parking in the flat lot is free on the weekends and in the evenings. I’ll keep going. I hope it succeeds.

kwatt: Where I live, across the street, is about 1/2 sold but an interesting note I learned is that every buyer is single. Not one married couple as of when I moved in last month.

Kevin, within a short distance of your condo there are a lot of young married (and unmarried) couples in these retro contraptions called “houses.” They’re a pain in the ass to maintain — unless you want to drive 10 blocks south and shovel my driveway — but it’s pretty sweet to have all that house stuff to repair and repaint and renovate and replace….

I think the concept for this is great, but in reality the integration of many cultures doesn’t seem to work well here. I’ve checked out some other “international market” places like this before, but they are all pretty homogenous culturally – all Latin American or East African within a given mini-mall – and that might be good for them.

They did a good job of getting the diversity in this time, but I think Latin@s are more likely to head to Mercado Central, East Africans to spots that are just theirs, etc. The result is a somewhat sanitized market suited for the liberal whitey.

Free parking, or even more pay parking would help!

I’ve been a little disappointed with the food – West Indies’ patties were dried out and they don’t offer the roti that makes me go to their University location. The Mexican spots I’ve tried were just fine – no Pineda. But I can’t complain about Holy Land – perfectly consistant.

Where is the wine? I was surprised the sitdown Mexican spot in the corner serves drinks, but sell bottles in a place like that, in MN? ha!! It’s ironic that a state as conservative with alcohol as MN is trying to force Muslim cabbies to carry booze against their religion, yet I can’t buy a bottle on Sunday!

I know about houses.

I just found it very interesting that my part of the development was so attractive to single people. I think a lot of it might have to do with the prices that I think were reasonable (many people reserved at the pre-construction prices like I did). If the Chicago Lofts have a similar demo maybe that should play into a revised marketing plan. It is, afterall, very neat to know I can call and have a watermelon delivered to my front door.

There is a new Asian restaurant so if that and the mexican table place do well hopefully that will lift all the boats.

Kal, have actually been there?

Fusion food? I don’t recall any of that.

Different restaurant from different cousins and a couple of branches from stores that are already in the neighborhood DO NOT make a world market.

Andy’s Garage is not in the neighborhood. There is no Asian in that neighborhood, but there is at the MGM. There is no Middle Eastern or Tibetian in that neighborhood either. Just Somali, Latino and fast food. And if food from damn near every continent doesn’t make it a world market, I’m not sure what does.

variety grade zero. where is the spice store? Where are the fishermen? Where is the wine? Where is the cured meat, sausage guy?

First, you can get spices there, just no spice store. There is a fish store there. Wine can only be sold in liquor stores. Cured meat is available at the Farm in the Market.

Plus, this place is brand new. What can you really expect? Give it some time and some business and it will evolve.

I am embarrassed to say I went yesterday for the first time. I loved it. I was in food heaven. Sure, I’d add a bunch of stuff and agree that parking is a big mess, but the food was great. It was also pretty crowded at lunchtime.

Expensive? Where have you been eating? $3 for two veggie tamales is not what I’d call pricey. Yes, most of the restaurants are outposts of other restaurants in town, most of them are ones I frequent. But West Indies Soul, Holy Land and Manny’s are nowhere near each other except at the MGM. I’d love to see even more diversity, but when you look at the variety now, it’s not bad.

I think it’s great to have small outpost grocery store. People “afraid” to go to United Noodle (or find it), can get introduced to the type of stuff they carry by visiting the boutique version. Ditto the mexican groceries. There are some really great grocery stores in the cities, but they are nowhere near each other and this is a way to introduce people to them and get a bunch of different stuff in the same place. OK, that was a clumsy little sentence but you get my meaning.

I’m just excited about the tamales.

And I will be taking the 21 from St. Paul just to get some lunch.

53 is faster. Heck, the 94 connecting with the 5 is probably faster.

I barely ever cross the river anyway.

I agree with many of the above criticisms. I love the market for getting a bite to eat, but its pretty tough to grocery shop there. I’ve tried. I live in the neighborhood and really want the place to succeed. Their simply isn’t the breadth of unique or essential items that would get most white folks there, and there isn’t the depth that would get the Latino’s/Somali’s there since they’ve got better markets/malls just down the street.

Nix most of the crappy trinket stores and fill them with interesting and/or hard to find food vendors and you’ll get a bigger, more consistent crowd.

When I lived in the neighborhood I went there all the time. I buy a lot of “ethnic” ingredients, and Holy Land is WAYYYYY cheaper than Bill’s Imports. Also, United Noodles seems reasonable to me, as does the produce place. If I was still close by, I’d continue to shop there almost daily.

Here’s a question though: where on earth is this flower shop referenced in the article? I have never noticed a florist, and I’ve been there a gazillion times. I certainly hope it’s not that pathetic excuse for a stall by the Everest Cafe… every time I walk by they have like six overpriced houseplants and that’s it. Very disappointing.

BTW I have never bought a thing at any of the handicraft places. It seems like food (whether grocery or prepared) is what’s selling there.

I’d also like to ad, that many of my friends/family would be exactly the type of folks to shop Farm in the Market, but they DON’T, because that place alone isn’t reason enough to make the extra trip from the co-op or grocery store.

I want a beer and wine store in there (ala Milwaukee and every other friggin’ market in the world)! MN’s liquor lawsgfdy2356sdho$^893n ugh.

The hours suck! By the time I get home from work and change and let the dogs out and blah blah I can get there MAYBE by 7. They roll-up the sidewalks at 8PM.

During No-Coast Craft-O-Rama (btw the single busiest day in the MGM’s history, way bigger than the grand opening) they were pretty much kicking people out of the place. duh.

AND what Bx said!

As far as improving it — ditch the trinket stores, more (comfortable) tables, and I feel parking is a bit confusing. There is a sign in the lot that says free parking but it is filled with parking meters?

I think it is nice for us in the neighborhood, but my friends in the suburbs would never think of going there and probably don’t even know it exists. I can barely get them to visit me. Maybe if it was in Uptown.

Chicago Lake Liquor is across the street. Barely a sandwedge away from the main entrance.

Chi-Lake is great for 40’s, but I don’t think the afforementioned “Sharon Shoreview” is headed over anytime soon.

If I am lunching at Everest on saturday afternoon I wanna stop by Farm In The Market get me some nice buffalo steak pick up a bottle of a six-pack of Bell’s and head out.

It’s actually not that bas a liquor store, if you’re looking for Cherry Ripple.

how about a surdyk’s annex in the MGM? That’s some kind of foreign and it’s all classy and upscale and shit…

We were talking about MGM at work today, and someone said, “I was there once. It’s like a giant food court.” That may be the problem.

La Loma Tamales rule, by the way.

Re the bakery issue:

One of the things that shocked me about the place when it was first opening were these signs taped up in all of the stalls saying that the merchants could only be in there till 8pm sharp.

I dont know if any of you have actually worked in a bakery, but overnights is when production happens so you can have fresh product in the counter at 6am. No bakery is going to survive in there because their goods will be day-old by the time opening rolls around the next day.

I just hate to see the place go down because I’m also in that neighborhood and very much appreciate the benefits it brings.

I don’t think the daytables are a problem, but the organization sure is. And the hours — if they’re going to be open till 8, why not be open till 10, 11 on the weekends? Get some nightlife going. Maybe a lounge/bar.

nice buffalo steak pick up a bottle of a six-pack of Bell’s and head out.

If you’re a Bells drinker, you probably love the hoppy stuff, but I suggest the Kalamazoo Stout to accompany a grilled steak.

I’ve never been there simply because I’m a north metro guy. But after reading this thread it seems to me that there was a lot of wishful thinking on a lot of people’s parts that they were building a field of dreams. Sorry folks. Marketing and packaging — especially on this scale — is the ticket to entry, plain and simple. Soooo many “do good” endeavors fall victim to a lack of foresight from a marketing perspective.

Don’t think for a moment that fish guys throwing salmon in Seattle’s Pikes Market isn’t a very calculated ploy. They don’t NEED to throw fish — they throw fish because people come from all over the planet to watch guys throw fish. And that’s the point.

There is an obscure rule — I don’t know if it’s municipal or state based — that says that a person can only own one liquor store in the city. So, no, they can’t open up a Surdyk’s at Midtown, or anywhere else in Minneapolis for that matter.

And then, there’s another rule that says that you can’t open up a liquor store less than 1,000 or somesuch number of feet away from another one. Since we’ve already determined that you’re only a sandwedge away from Chi-Lake, which is personally endorsed by Fancy Ray, you’re SOL. No liquor store at the Midtown.

Not sure who hates drinking more…Muslim cabbies or the MN legislature. Is this what they mean when they call us a Blue State? Where’s the booze lobby when you need them?

Oh crap or carp. Don’t you know? It’s not about throwing fish, as much about the catching part.

The booze lobby is there, but so are their enemies.

It’s a real melting pot.

Booze is my dear friend & hated enemy, so I suppose that what kwatt says is not surprising.

I was a little disapointed with the produce market personally. I guess I was expecting an actual farmers market. The market there is just a retail store run and supplied by J&J Distribution, which also supplies Kowalski’s, Cub, and other stores with the same product.

Throwing is cool, but it is about the catching.

That’s a great point. There is a definite lack of novelty at MGM. When my family was up here helping me move, they went over for supper and came back very unimpressed. For them, there’s just no draw unless you get off on “diversity.” They don’t. My mom came back from Seattle last summer with half a dozen photos of the fish market. She has no pictures of the MGM and probably doesn’t want any. Like it or not, they will have to find a way to attract white ass families like mine or face serious financial trouble.

O please.

The throwing fish thing was a total accident.

BTW if I ever have to watch “FISH” again I’ll kill myself!

getting back on topic… i went there once last summer and my impressions where:

-parking is disorganized
-as a biker i was disappointed that they shortchanged bike parking
-mismash of various sellers that weren’t selling anything i couldn’t purchase elsewhere
-poor organization – why would you put food and clothing vendors right next to each other?
-lack of any real diversity of selections
-lousy hours
-issues with how the place was subsidied

its of no shock that the place isn’t doing well … sounds like a good space for a lunds….

If there really was a strong demand for something like this in the first place, it would have come about without all the subsidies and government planning. If left alone, the mix of shops and prices will end up being what consumers demand, otherwise it will close. Markets in action.

Sales Suck. So Sorry, Salome’.

Shalom!

The market will take whatever vendors are willing to pay the rent, basically. And they let the vendor pick where they want to be located, so the complaining by trinket hawkers about being placed next to food doesn’t make sense to me.

If they want to have more night and weekend business, it seems to me that it would make sense to plan some activities to go on there besides just music — movie screenings, theatre groups, book clubs, poster/art/craft/record sales and shows, etc. They need to bring in the people, and having some events take place (in which people stay long enough to also get hungry) may bring some people during the non-peak times.

My big disappointment with it was that it is very food-to-eat-on-premises oriented. There are only a handful of grocer/meat/take-with-you shops, and the trinket stores just don’t appeal to me. In Seattle/Vancouver/other cities I’ve seen much more variety in the types of vendors; however Midtown can’t force a spice shop or bakery to want to open there, so until someone gets the bright idea to open this business, it’s pretty much not gonna happen.

Maybe some turnover is good, as people learn what will sell in that space and what won’t. And bringing down the rent price will help with that, I think.

This kind of thing might have worked ok closer to downtown, but midtown is not an activity center (yet?) by any stretch of the imagination. One corporate office and some condos + the old neighbourhood does not quite do the trick. Most the area is still just run-down old houses with residents too poor to shop there anyway, and not a whole lot of people pass through the chi-lake area if they don’t have to.

There is quality feedback on here. Is there anybody to whom we can email this link that might be able to do something about it?

Who runs MGM? Does it have a Board or something?

I could print it out and leave it at the desk.

There is an office down in there somewhere.

I went down to the MGM on Thurdsay. Had some great central american food, got a deal on some farm raised pork & chicken, then hit united noodles for some asian items.

parking was easy. there is a ramp next door. can you park in a ramp?

there was a fish market & a spice store. produce looked good to me. i am not very experienced shopping for organics, but nothing seemed dramatically more expensive than at rainbow. a little more but not huge.

also enjoyed some cool music from a cuban singer/guitar player.

i had been meaning to get down there, but just hadn’t. that strib article was a wake up call for me and hopefully for some of you. i wish there was an MGMin my hood.

i advise you all to try it, or try it again

Clint, dude, you are not answering your email. EMAIL ME please!

I seriously don’t get why people are so shocked and disappointed as to why the market is not doing well!!! I used to go to the Market 3-4 times a week for lunch. After calculating that I was spending near $200.00 a month just on lunch, I said “Screw it!”. Prices are ridiculous. The only half decent lunch deal is at Holy Land during their lunch buffet. Otherwise, they hose you and charge $10-$12 for a little bit of pasta or a sandwich. It’s ridiculous! Maybe the vendor rent should go down so that they can charge less and people might actually WANT to eat and shop in the market! With a KFC, McDonald’s, etc right across the street, you might as well walk and pay only $3.00-$4.00 for the same quality food. That, and the shops are providing little trinkets that just sit on your shelf to collect dust. Get a clue people!

The prices are way too high… 8 bucks for a burger and some soggy fries. 3.50 Plus for a slice of pizza. YIKES… To think that Allina Employees could keep that place afloat is crazy. We are non profit. We just dont get paid enough to spend $10 on lunch every day. A lack of real world vision and poor planning is the problem. To think that by sprucing up a few building in one or the poorest parts of the cities will magically give the area a 180 over haul over night is pretty crazy. Maybe the city could have giving some of that money to poor folks to help them fix up their area instead of forking it over to rich developers and investors in hope they can wave a magic wand and tune the chi-lake area into a paradise..

I am really disappointed at the comments I’m reading here. It doesn’t seem like most of you nay-sayers have given MGM a fair chance. I live ten blocks from MGM and it has become my new fun place to go. Here are some of the things I have seen that many of you seem to be turning a cold, blind, Minnesota eye to.
(1)shop keepers are extremely friendly and talkative. They smile and flirt and don’t push there wares on you when you’re not in the store. It that’s what y’all think of as glowering, then yes, they glower big time.
(2)The prices at the restaurants are more expensive then Wendy’s, but equal to or cheaper then Noodles and Chipotle (for better quality that’s coming from locals).
(3)the produce is hit and miss, as it is at most smaller grocers. I split my grocery buying between the Seward and MGM. If you see an overpriced old orange, Don’t Buy It! But also, don’t be surprised if you come in tomorrow and find a bunch of fresh oranges that are well priced.
(4) Parking. I have always been able to find a parking space and I rarely have to pay.
I love how liberal we all think we are as we turn around and spit in the face of local small businesses that are starting out in a new place. Give them time and support. If you don’t like how they do something, or are confused about how the basket system works, TELL THEM!! Don’t expect them to read your mind. Also, just because the startrib article said that Allina folks weren’t shopping there enough doesn’t mean it’s actually their fault that it’s not doing well. Supporting local business is everyones job, rich poor, white or not.
By the way, this…
With a KFC, McDonald’s, etc right across the street, you might as well walk and pay only $3.00-$4.00 for the same quality food.
…makes me sick!

Where do you people shop? You can’t afford organic produce but chances are good you pay $4 per lb potato chips, $3 per lb for cand, $6 for a mixed drink and $3 for a stupid latte-what a deal. Give me a break.

Every store in the United States has-basically-the same produce. Freshness and quality is a perception. If you truly understand anything about fresh food and sustainability, you would know that The Produce Exchange at the MGM is by far the best value you can possibly find in the Twin Cities. Produce prices are the same everywhere if you look hard enough. I would be more worried about what you waste than the price of something you never buy anyway.

To correct a poster above, we are a married couple who live in the Chicago condos above the market. There are a few of us – not everyone in here is single. Not sure where you would have gotten that impression, but maybe the salespeople are uninformed.

This market while it does have it ups is doomed for the fact that it is located in the ghetto. It needs the support of the suburban food lovers but will not get it if they are afraid of being car jacked by going there. I used to work down there and found the people to be rather nice but middle class minnesotans used to the burbs are not going to look past the area they have to drive through, especially with a cub foods on every corner.
The old real estate saying that location sells will always be paramount to any business success.

And has Midtown Global Market on Lake Street actually synchronized their fucking registers by now? I mean, what store in 2009 doesn’t give every register, no matter the location IN the store, the ability to ring up the SAME FUCKING ITEMS?! It can’t be lack of technology or money. The people who run it are just too fuckin lazy.

I’m going to guess that Brandon is Berfus’ more eloquent older brother.

He paints a vivid picture. Of what, I do not know.

Sorry Brandon. First comment deleted. Please feel free to try again without the lazy stereotyping, mocking of the developmentally disabled, and uneeded potshots at liberals. I mean, any one of those would be pushing it, but you went for the trifecta, and that just doesn’t fly here.