Bob Mariano is getting back into groceries
Bob Mariano is getting back into groceries
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Bob Mariano is getting back into groceries
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Post #1 - May 18th, 2020, 8:34 pmArticle from Crain's Chicago Business on May 18, 2020:Bob Mariano is returning to the grocery industry with a $10 million investment to create a new chain aimed at combining shopping, restaurant dining and home delivery.
The new venture, Dom’s Market & Kitchen, is planned for a March 2021 debut at a yet-to-be announced Lincoln Park location. The small-format store will feature specialty foods and take-home and dine-in meals prepared in an open kitchen. Groceries and meal kits will also be available for delivery, according to a statement from the new company. It plans to add Chicago locations, focusing on urban neighborhoods, once its Lincoln Park spot is up and running.
Mariano is partnering with fellow industry veterans Jay Owen and Don Fitzgerald to jump-start the venture. Owen is the grandson of Dominick’s founder Dominick DiMatteo, and Fitzgerald was a former executive with Mariano at Roundy’s. Mariano was CEO and chairman of Milwaukee-based Roundy's, before Cincinnati-based Kroger acquired the company in 2015. He retired a year later, after Kroger instituted executive team consolidations amid budgetary pressures.
"Dom’s will be a neighborhood destination where consumers can drop in several times per week, explore new foods, watch the cooking process in open preparation areas, participate in a wine tasting class, dine in, or take home prepared foods or cooking ingredients," Owen said in the statement.
Dominick's closed in 2013 after it failed to modernize stores and compete with Whole Foods.
Mariano, best best-known for his namesake area grocery chain, was able to correct the mistakes made at Dominick's with Mariano's Fresh Markets. The 41 stores around the Chicago area initially featured upscale dining options like an oyster bar, a live piano player and wine-tasting events.
But Mariano's stores have faced mounting customer criticism in recent years with Kroger implementing changes like introducing more private-label brands, increasing the number of self-checkout lanes and removing those upscale upgrades.
Article:
http://archive.is/V0ODr
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Post #2 - May 18th, 2020, 9:24 pmI wish Kroger had never taken over Mariano's. When this happened Bob said that this would not affect the Mariano stores, but they have been dumbed down to save money. They got rid of the piano player, and the produce section is not nearly as good as it used to be. When I go in the store at 4:00 usually there is nobody working in produce. The only good thing is that the prices are a little cheaper. I wish he never would have sold the chain to Kroger.
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Post #3 - May 19th, 2020, 5:48 amI wonder if the undisclosed location is the old Mrs. Green's space at Webster and N. Lincoln, it would seem to be a perfect fit for what they're proposing.
Edit: Looks like Target is putting something in that space so apparently not.Cookingblahg.blogspot.com
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Post #4 - May 19th, 2020, 6:53 amWe'll see. Owen may be the grandson of DiMatteo, and Bob Mariano used to work for the old man, but that doesn't mean they can resurrect a viable brand that was driven into the ground with a stake. Dominick's was an everyman's grocery with a little flair when I started working for them in 1973. However, I'm still waiting for my pension from being forced to join the Retail Clerks Union at the ripe age of 16...
Our Vernon Hills Mariano's has fared quite well during the pandemic, at least from personal experience. Plenty of meat, reasonably-priced produce, and for our last pickup they waived our $5.00 shopping fee, which even if I would've paid it is a bargain-and-a-half.
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Post #5 - May 19th, 2020, 7:38 amSounds like a Standard Market.
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Post #6 - May 19th, 2020, 9:19 amWish him well as Mariano's took a steep hit when Kroger bought them. A shadow of their former self."In pursuit of joys untasted"
from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
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Post #7 - May 19th, 2020, 9:23 amGood luck. Like everything else they touch, Kroger destroyed Mariano's.
=R=Same planet, different world
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Post #8 - May 19th, 2020, 12:14 pmNFriday wrote:I wish Kroger had never taken over Mariano's. When this happened Bob said that this would not affect the Mariano stores, but they have been dumbed down to save money. They got rid of the piano player, and the produce section is not nearly as good as it used to be. When I go in the store at 4:00 usually there is nobody working in produce. The only good thing is that the prices are a little cheaper. I wish he never would have sold the chain to Kroger.
I think Mariano's was in steep decline long before Kroger came into the picture. Quality was all over the place, produce was horrible, the check out staff had trouble distinguishing betweeen a green pepper and a string bean. We migrated back to a combination of Jewel and Whole Foods. Kroger with their sea of branded products and inconsistent stocking sealed the deal for us.
I never saw any purpose in the piano player, so that was no loss to us.
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Post #9 - May 19th, 2020, 1:26 pmchicagojim wrote:
I never saw any purpose in the piano player, so that was no loss to us.
The first time I walked into a Mariano's I figured the piano player wouldn't last as long as a bag of salad....
That being said, I miss the variety of grocery stores in the Chicago metro area, Denver is a wasteland for interesting markets.
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Post #10 - May 19th, 2020, 6:44 pmronnie_suburban wrote:Good luck. Like everything else they touch, Kroger destroyed Mariano's.
=R=
I am in total agreement. I did 95% of my grocery shopping at Marianos when Bob Mariano owned the chain. Now it might be 1%.
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Post #11 - May 19th, 2020, 8:14 pmIt's funny, I've drifted back to Jewel too, I'd been mostly Mariano's last year.
There are still things the Glenview West store does better than Mount Prospect Jewel:
Orange juice
Breakfast sausage at the meat counter
Krab and shrimp salad
Cheese selection
But those are only occasional purchases. Empty shelves of basic produce (cilantro, ginger, both on multiple occasions) make it a tough place to go for regular shopping.What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang
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Post #12 - May 20th, 2020, 12:34 pmJoelF wrote:It's funny, I've drifted back to Jewel too, I'd been mostly Mariano's last year.
There are still things the Glenview West store does better than Mount Prospect Jewel:
Orange juice
Breakfast sausage at the meat counter
Krab and shrimp salad
Cheese selection
But those are only occasional purchases. Empty shelves of basic produce (cilantro, ginger, both on multiple occasions) make it a tough place to go for regular shopping.
This is now going into a quibble over a small issue. But at least in the South Loop store, the [meager] selection of fresh herbs is in one place, except the Basil is behind you all by its self - of course this is only true when they have it at all, which is by no means insured.
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Post #13 - March 31st, 2021, 6:47 pmSupermarket executive Bob Mariano is back, with a new downsized fresh market for Chicago.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.htmlNever order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
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Post #14 - April 1st, 2021, 8:08 amThe artist concept suggests that it'll be like the front corner of a Mariano's with the remainder lopped off. I wonder if they'll have the "we'll grill your steak" service like the Willow & 294 store.
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Post #15 - May 13th, 2021, 7:12 amDom’s Kitchen & Market, the niche grocer that’s packing a mini-food hall of sorts with a coffeeshop, has an opening date. Dom’s will debut to the public on June 8, according to a spokesperson. Construction continues at the corner of Diversey and Halsted at 2730 N. Halsted Street in Lincoln Park, just south of Lakeview.
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/12/224 ... renderingsNever order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
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Post #16 - May 13th, 2021, 8:00 amFrom the Eater:Crews razed a dated strip mall with a parking lot that housed a Dunkin’, repurposing it for Dom’s, a business that better fits Chicago’s city’s urban needs.
Up for debate: Which do Chicagoans need more, sushi and custom charcuterie plates or donuts and coffee?
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Post #17 - May 21st, 2021, 5:41 pm
{stealthily elbows tjr in the ribs, then looks angelic}tjr wrote: From the Eater:
[snipped to save bandwidth]
Up for debate: Which do Chicagoans need more, sushi and custom charcuterie plates or donuts and coffee?
Shhhh. We know what the response should be, but some questions cannot be truthfully answered.
Valuable links for survival, without the monetization attempt: https://pqrs-ltd.xyz/bookmark4.html
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Post #18 - June 7th, 2021, 4:35 pmOpening Tuesday =
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.htmlNever order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
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Post #19 - June 7th, 2021, 10:50 pmLet a thousand Chicago grocery store options bloom, but I do wonder who exactly these customers whowanted stores that would teach them about food and provide inspiration for meals
are. Maybe I’ll meet them at Dom’s!
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Post #20 - June 10th, 2021, 1:58 pmSo I visited Dom's on Day 2 yesterday, and enjoyed the experience. In contrast to stores where you can wander the aisles in vain before you find someone who can answer a question, Dom's seems to have as many staff members as customers. (And there are a lot of customers.) Friendly and helpful. And everything I brought home was good.
The concept is clearly "a store for the neighborhood" because its 24 (by my count) parking spaces tell me, "This is a store to reach on foot." (Although pay-to-park street spaces are not too hard to find.)
A great addition to the neighborhood.Pithy quote here.
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Post #21 - June 10th, 2021, 11:34 pmBride had a Wednesday mid-morning dental appointment across from the Biograph, we stopped at Dom's for a look around after. Clean, sparkling, pristine, friendly, informed, interactive. Staffed up by 50% as one might do for a new restaurant opening. Numerous dine-in seating areas, multiple types, styles and options for prepared food, hot, fresh and/or packed to go. I was particularly excited for Bonci. Speaking of Bonci we got 5-6 types and a gratis sample of porchetta, terrific.
Meat, produce, deli all tip-top and the store was so clean one might eat off the floor, if they were so inclined. Staff is really into the whole gestalt of Dom's, kool-aid fully consumed. Also, unlike the long gone and seldom lamented Fox and Obel, there is not a hint of pretentiousness to be found. Informed service with a smile.
Now for the quibbles. Pricing is on the high side of high, even for an upscale densely packed urban area such as Diversey/Halsted. And the scant parking lot is packed tighter than the featured act's corset at the Baton. Is Dom's top of the grocery game, absolutely, is Dom's sustainable, time will tell.
click to enlarge
Bonci, count me a Fan!
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Post #22 - June 11th, 2021, 12:18 pmG Wiv wrote:...the scant parking lot is packed tighter than the featured act's corset at the Baton.
Yeah, I would not even attempt to go there by car unless I were prepared to do pay-to-park street parking.
I share your hope that the concept of "on foot" or "street park" will be sustainable. I'm optimistic it will be. Even with Trader Joe's a scant block away, Dom's fills a need.Pithy quote here.
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Post #23 - July 20th, 2021, 12:34 pmOn Sunday, discovered a great reason to have Dom's in the neighborhood. They have prime meats. And you can buy them on Sunday.
I adore the meat counter at Big Apple Market on Clark, but (if I'm not mistaken) the butcher there is closed on Sunday, and in any case they're outside my walking distance range and parking around there is scarce. Paulina is closed on Sunday. Whole Foods, meanwhile, doesn't sell prime. Neither does Trader Joe's, to my knowledge. (To say nothing of Jewel and Mariano's.)
So for prime meats on a Sunday in Dom's neighborhood (let's say a half-mile radius of Halsted and Diversey), Dom's is the only game in town. Their prime meats are by Linz, and the NY strips were fantastic.Pithy quote here.
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Post #24 - February 17th, 2022, 10:16 amDom’s Kitchen & Market, the downsized grocery store launched last year by Bob Mariano and scions of the former Dominick’s grocery chain, plans to open its second location in Old Town this fall.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... 8#nws=trueNever order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
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Post #25 - February 27th, 2022, 5:40 pmDave148 wrote:Dom’s Kitchen & Market, the downsized grocery store launched last year by Bob Mariano and scions of the former Dominick’s grocery chain, plans to open its second location in Old Town this fall.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... 8#nws=true
Wow - this one's truly ugly.
viewtopic.php?p=573443#p573443
=R=Same planet, different world
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Post #26 - August 3rd, 2022, 5:26 pmThe Wednesday Journal reports that Dom’s will be opening an Oak Park location in the former Marshall Field’s space. See https://www.oakpark.com/2022/08/02/doms ... lds-space/
Not sure what I’m more excited about — that they’ve finally leased that space or that Dom’s is headed to OP.
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Post #27 - August 3rd, 2022, 11:29 pmThe arrangement Oak Park made with Dom's is similar to what Skokie did with Old Orchard - essentially allowing a private business to collect a "sales tax" - although in this case Oak Park forgoes the tax that flows to Dom's rather than authorizing an additional tax as at Old Orchard.
In my opinion this is the worst sort of corporate welfare, a direct transfer of money from taxpayers to business owners, and ones who already have plenty of money at that.
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Post #28 - August 4th, 2022, 2:53 amtjr wrote:The arrangement Oak Park made with Dom's is similar to what Skokie did with Old Orchard - essentially allowing a private business to collect a "sales tax" - although in this case Oak Park forgoes the tax that flows to Dom's rather than authorizing an additional tax as at Old Orchard.
In my opinion this is the worst sort of corporate welfare, a direct transfer of money from taxpayers to business owners, and ones who already have plenty of money at that.
The sales tax was going to be collected by the village anyway so the customers are not being charged more. Dom's gets 1/2 of it as an incentive. The space has been empty for 11 years with zero tax revenue for the village so at least this way an empty blight on the downtown area will be occupied and the village will get some revenue.
If there were other options that were more lucrative I'm sure the village would have jumped at the chance but that simply was not the case.
Plus there's this:
"In exchange for the village’s partnership, OPEDC has requested Dom’s commit to hiring staff from local minority hiring programs, minimize the use of plastic in packaging and work with anti-hunger organizations to donate food."
Frankly this was the best deal Oak Park was ever going to get for that space.
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Post #29 - August 4th, 2022, 10:46 ammasha wrote:The Wednesday Journal reports that Dom’s will be opening an Oak Park location in the former Marshall Field’s space. See https://www.oakpark.com/2022/08/02/doms ... lds-space/
Not sure what I’m more excited about — that they’ve finally leased that space or that Dom’s is headed to OP.
The proximity to Trader Joe's there is intriguing. I guess that's not too different from the original Dom's on Diversey and Halsted with the Trader Joe's a few blocks east.-Mary
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Post #30 - August 4th, 2022, 10:59 pmzoid wrote:]Frankly this was the best deal Oak Park was ever going to get for that space.
I'll admit I don't know the history of that space, but it does seem that an alternative would have been to say, "If you want access to Oak Park customers, you'll have to let us have all the sales taxes just as other businesses do. If that doesn't work for you, try opening up in Austin instead." And knowing how economic development works, there are no ways to verify that Dom's follows through on hiring and environmental practices, or more importantly, penalties for not complying.
