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Fancy-shmancy supermarket to move into Chestnut Hill

Wicked Local Newton reports Wegman's plans to open a store in the new mall being built on Rte. 9 where Omni Foods used to be.

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Comments

Do you want to get us all blacklisted, man!?

He's sorry, Wegmans! He's really sorry. We'll make sure he doesn't taunt you any more!

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What, it's not F*ncy shm*ncy?

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I went to school in Rochester, NY. We had a Wegmans near our campus...it was shoved into the corner of a bigger strip mall. It was essentially where everyone on campus went to get groceries because the on-campus option was so over-priced it was only for emergencies. For 4 years, I thought of Wegmans the way I think of Shaw's today: a grocery store, that's it.

Then I moved away and they started opening them out wider than upstate New York and each opening appeared to be bigger than the last. Places were DYING to have a "Super Wegmans" located in their communities after hearing all the buzz from afar at the last opening. They've finally brought the traveling circus to Boston's doorsteps and it's the same over-hyped story all over again. I don't exactly get it, to be honest. It's where I got groceries in college, so it's about as fancy as a Stop'N'Shop to me (actually the Stop'n'Shop has the scanners to carry through the store and the last Wegmans I was in (in Buffalo) didn't have that!).

So, I think they're great in so much as they pay their workers well and give them good benefits as supermarkets and large corporations go. I like the quality of their deli, fish, and prepped foods better than any other non-neighborhood grocer I've probably ever been in. But in the end, it's a supermarket and not exactly all that fancy or schmancy to me.

EDIT: It also appears that the Wegmans I knew was one of their first...and now it's a parking lot:

In March 2003, Wegmans sent a representative to the Upper Mount Hope Neighborhood meeting who discussed changes to their Mount Hope store: they planned to upgrade it as it was one of the first stores they ever built. The plans were wonderful and would have been a great boost to the neighborhood. However, in September 2003, after starting renovations, declared they were closing the store. The reasons revolved around money: either the store wasn't profitable enough, or the renovations were too costly. Although the neighborhood suffered from the lack of a grocery store, the building eventually sold to the University of Rochester Medical Center and was converted to a parking lot in December 2005.

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Are you a Yellowjacket as well? I knew the same Wegmans as the place I could get a case of Genny for under 8 bucks. I was in Rochester not long after they'd built the gigantic Wegmans that's up in Pittsford - "MegaWegs," as we called it.

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Meliora and all that jazz.

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measly yellowjackets scatter at the presence of a Tiger ;)

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RIT always left the Palestra with its tail between its legs.

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We are most pleased. Wegman's is choice and goodness.

I hope they expand the space. That would be small for the splendors of typical Wegman's I've shopped elsewhere.

Maybe it's presence would rouse Shaw's to diversity and good pricing.

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It's gonna gentileify the neighborhood, rents will go up from the Wegman's Effect, etc.

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Our Kugel!

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How was the selection of Jewish food at Omni Foods?

Wegman's is supposed to have a pretty good kosher selection.

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I seem to recall that while it was no Butcherie, Omni did offer kosher stuff and a decent selection of bagels.

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Wegman's fancy? I don't think so.
The wife and I made a Sat night visit (OK, OK we're boring... ) and didn't really find it fancy.
Big? Yes.
Lots of items? Definitely
But fancy? Not even close.
I don't see it being any fancier than Roche Bros.
Anybody else?

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I think the comparison to Roche Bros. is a pretty good one, but in my experience Wegmans is cheaper.
Though that was in upstate NY, where the economy was pretty depressed. Maybe they'll charge more in Boston.

I have to laugh at the gentrify the neighborhood comment- gentrify Chestnut Hill? Is that even possible?
Hopefully this was a whole foods/jamaica plain joke. Well done.

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The biggest difference is that Roche Bros. doesn't have the extensive buffets and cafes in them.

Compared at least to Shaw's and Stop n Shop, Wegman's is much more consistently stocked with the typical items, plus they have a wide variety of natural/organic/foodie items the same way Whole Foods would, but somehow they still have reasonable if not slightly lower prices.

The employees are also usually incredibly polite and helpful and the stores are well managed. Us die-hards can't expect everyone to hop on the bandwagon but in general it's just a really nice shopping experience.

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When I lived in Ithaca, NY there was a Wegmans and then a Super Wegmans. The Super Wegmans reminded me of a combo Roche Bros in West Roxbury and Whole Foods in Dedham.

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I first started shopping at Wegman's in 1970. I went when ever my mother insisted I go along. Funny to see it listed as Fancy Shmancy. Just
never thought of it that way. OTH, my childhood Wegman's was a good deal less fancy then what is currently offered in Wegman's, but I've always thought as them keeping ahead of the Jones'.

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Wegman's subs.

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You mean DiBellas? Apparently these Massachusetts stores have a fake DiBellas.

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I don't get the fascination with huge supermarkets. When I go shopping I want to get in and get out, not make a day of it.

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I prefer small stores as well.

This Wegman's is supposed to be half the size of the Northborough store.

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