What The Hell Happened To Wegman's

When it was first announced that Wegman's was opening one of their distinctive supermarkets in these parts there was unbridled glee. People were so excited that legend has it some of them camped out in the store's parking lot the night before the grand opening so they could be among the first to treat themselves to the Wegman's experience.

And what an experience it was! A huge array of foodstuffs beckoned them: incredibly fresh fruit and produce all beautifully displayed and clearly marked; a vast individually prepared take out food section; a self-serve take-out area; a sit down eating section overlooking the entire supermarket floor; a galaxy of cheeses, olives and similar fare; a deli, sub shop, pizza parlor, coffee bar, bakery, florist and so much more. The store regularly introduced customers to new culinary treats along with demonstrations and instructions on how to cook certain dishes. And the variety of products and brands was staggering. Plus, if you couldn't find what you wanted they had an attentive and superbly staffed customer services center that would find it for you or make sure the store began to stock it just for you! It was a paradise for foodies.

But today's Cherry Hill Wegman's pales by comparison. Oh sure, lots of people will blame the COVID lockdown and all that went with it. And others will cite today's ubiquitous staffing shortages. But our Wegman's started losing its edge long before that. The store seemed to cut back on staffing quite some time ago. The number of brands and product selections began to shrink. Whole sections were redesigned to feature cumbersome bulk sales items. More exotic or less popular food items began to disappear.  Parts of the sit down eating area were cordoned off or closed completely. The whole lunch or dinner to go section seems to have pretty much disappeared. Again, this was pre-COVID. And, if you asked about such things, you never really got a direct answer. 

Today, no one knows if the dinner plates prepared just for you will ever come back. Ditto, the self-service prepared food-to-go area. Within the supermarket section, whole shelf areas are often depleted or empty. Things are shuffled around frequently Finding a staffer to answer a question or direct you to the right area can be difficult. 

And here;'s the rub: I've been to other Wegman's stores that are a lot spiffier and offer much more in the way of selection, specialized services, features and accommodations. Not here. Not now. Not in Cherry Hill. We're getting less and less, not more.

Excuse me for suspecting that the whole operation has become hopelessly bottom-line oriented: Cater to the masses; get 'em in, get 'em out; to hell with anything that's even a bit more specialized. Now, if you think this has automatically sent me rushing into the arms of the nearby Whole Foods (aka "Whole Wallet") you'd be wrong. I'm not and never will be a sucker for Bezosland. No way!

I have found another supermarket -- a place with a huge selection, lots of different choices and brands, plenty of knowledgeable and cheerful staff on the floor to help you, honest, competitive pricing and surprising food offerings I might have never known about it. Even the in-house brands that this place offers are good! And the management is local, hands-on and grateful for your patronage. Maybe you've found this place too. If so, you no longer have to ask: "What the hell happened to Wegman's?" Instead you can just simply wave BuhhhBYE and be on your merry way!

Dinner For Six Bucks? Here It Is!

If you can't afford to go out to eat and you still don't want to cook, head on over to Wegman's.
The best supermarket ever now has freshly cooked six dollar dinners in its prepared meals section. Just take them home and warm them up or (if you're in a hurry) eat them on site.
Last night we enjoyed grilled lemon chicken (a very healthy serving) with russet potatoes and broccoli. Absolutely delicious. Dinner for two: Twelve bucks.
And you can put together your own combination of meat and vegetables from among a special six dollar menu.
You don't have to eat fast food. You don't have to eat out of a bag. You don't have to eat fried food or junk food.
You can have a healthy, fresh-cooked, affordable dinner from Wegman's
My advice? Wind your way over to Wegman's

Wegman's Six Dollar Dinners

If you can't afford to go out to eat and you still don't want to cook, head on over to Wegman's.
The best supermarket ever now has freshly cooked six dollar dinners in its prepared meals section. Just take them home and warm them up or (if you're in a hurry) eat them on site.
Last night we enjoyed grilled lemon chicken (a very healthy serving) with russet potatoes and broccoli. Absolutely delicious. Dinner for two: Twelve bucks.
And you can put together your own combination of meat and vegetables from among a special six dollar menu.
You don't have to eat fast food. You don't have to eat out of a bag. You don't have to eat fried food or junk food.
You can have a healthy, fresh-cooked, affordable dinner from Wegman's
My advice? Wind your way over to Wegman's

New Restaurants, Shops, Etc.

Last night we stopped at the new William Douglas Steakhouse in Cherry Hill's wonderful Garden State Park shopping plaza and we were delighted with their happy hour specials.
Happy Hour at William Douglas runs from 4 to 6 PM and features special drinks with the entire bar menu at half price. These special are repeated after 9 PM.
The bar menu offers a variety of specialized sliders as well as chicken quesadillas, skirt steak and other treats. The restaurant is like a fine super club with nostalgic touches from the legendary race track that once dominated the property. Very adult and sophisticated.
The bar is woodsy and clubby. We sat in a large, cozy booth with friends and enjoyed fresh, icy martinis and our delicious bar treats. There was more than enough for everyone and the tariff was most appealing. Check it out!
After we left William Douglas we stopped next door at the new Cranky's Handbags and Accessories.
Cranky's will open sometime within the next few days and we can report that this is the place to go if you're looking for copies of designer handbags as well as nicer accessories and copies of designer jewelry. Cranky's also offers designer handbags on consignment.
The store orginally opened on South Street in Philadelphia and then moved to Eagle Plaza in Vorhees. But with all the new development at Cherry Hill's power corridor along Haddonfield Road from Route 70 to Route 38, Cranky's decided to relocate to where the action is.
Pop in at Cranky's real soon. We're guessing you won't leave cranky.
More hot news: We can now report that Nordstrom Rack will probably be coming to Cherry Hill in the Garden State Park shopping development.
We have it on fairly good authority that Nordstrom is high on Cherry Hill and the plan is to open Rack just down the road from the big new Nordstrom store. Rack would join a number of great retailers at Garden State Park's Towne Place including J. Jill, The Talbot's, Joseph A. Bank, Barnes and Noble and Coldwater Creek.
We also hear that Wegman's wine, cheese and spirits will open at Garden State Park's Towne Place just behind the spectacular new Wegman's store. Wegman's has been anxious to sell wine and spirits in Cherry Hill and it seems that the pieces are now falling into place to do just that.

Wegman's Is Best Supermarket

Our very favorite - Wegman's - has been selected as America's BEST supremarket.
Of course, we knew this all along.
But here's the supporting material from the Philadelphia Business Journal:
Wegman's is the best supermarket chain in America, according to a new national report.
The May issue of Consumer Reports includes ratings of 59 chains based on surveys of 32,599 shoppers across the country.
Wegmans ranked No. 1, with a score of 87 on a 100-point scale.
The magazine also scored each chain in four categories -- service, perishables, price and cleanliness.
Wegmans received the highest possible score in three of those categories. The exception was price, where it was rated as average.
Rounding out the top five behind Wegmans are Trader Joe’s, Publix, Raley’s and Harris Teeter.

Wegmans Grows Again!

From Suzette Parmley in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Wegmans, the high-end grocery chain that has built five markets in the Philadelphia region in six years, said yesterday that it would hire about 600 workers for a store in Collegeville due to open in October.
Hiring for the new 132,000-square-foot store - which will feature what is being billed as the first pub in a Southeastern Pennsylvania supermarket restaurant - will begin this month, with interviews taking place the final week of March, said Blaine Forkell, a 26-year Wegmans veteran who will manage the store. (Application information is at www.wegmans.com.)
In addition, site work has begun on a store in Malvern that is expected to open in the first half of next year, Forkell said.
Wegmans generally hires about 600 workers for each store, compared with 150 to 200 employees at a typical Giant supermarket measuring 50,000 to 100,000 square feet.
The 72-store chain, based in Rochester, N.Y., has been aggressively growing in the Mid-Atlantic region, typically opening two to three new locations each year, said Jo Natale, a company spokeswoman. In addition to its stores in Downingtown, Warrington, Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill, Wegmans operates in upstate Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia, and recently announced sites in the Boston suburbs.
The company's ramp-up in this area comes amid the doom and gloom of announced closings by businesses from retailers to car dealerships.
Encouraged by its local stores' success in bucking the trend, Wegmans decided to capitalize on Philadelphians' appreciation for good food, Forkell said. "We think it's an area where people have a high food interest," he said. "Secondly, the population and demographics fit our model."
We've noted before how mouch we love Wegmnas. They are unequaled for service, selection and total satisfaction. It's great to see them growing!

Wonderful Wegman's

Is there a better supermarket than Wegman's?

If there is, I haven't discovered it.

Right now, Wegman's can be found in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. New York is the home base for this chain (founded in the 1930s) followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.

Wegman's growth is concentrated in the mid Atlantic region and additional stores are planned in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. So far there are 71 Wegman's stores.

If there is one near you, consider yourself very, very lucky.

What is it that makes Wegman's so special? It's hard to know where to begin: aware, friendly staff people; plenty of help for shoppers; a huge selection of tempting, fresh gourmet and everyday food, groceries and household items; bright, attractive, clean, easy-to-navigate stores with wide aisles; a great "eat in" selection and a spacious, comfortable seating area; helpful advice on meal selections and meal preparation and competitive prices on everyday items.

Wegman's people are courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. They go out of their way to help shoppers. The whole package actually makes food shopping a treat.

People actually camp out overnight so there can be there when the doors to a new Wegman's store opens. It's that special.

This much is certain: Once you shop at Wegman's, you'll never shop at a "regular" supermarket again.

Fishy Fun

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant opposite City Hall in Philadelphia has long been one of our favorites. Their fresh-daily fish is simply prepared and served in an inviting atmosphere that encourages conviviality. And the bar features a great daily happy hours with $1.95 entrees.

Today McCormick's crosses the Delaware and opens at Garden State Park in Cherry Hill. But last night invited guests were treated to a red-carpet preview of this spacious new eatery complete with Hollywood skylights, valet parking and live music. The crowd was large, loud and Very Happy and the tastings included crab cakes, calamari, broiled chicken, oysters on the shell, shrimp, ahi tuna and mini burgers.

More than 40 McCormick staffers worked the event and all were friendly, courteous and helpful. We spotted many familiar faces in the crowd and chatted with Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt, former Pennsylvania State Senator Bob Rovner, Philadelphia Tribune correspondent Bobbi Booker and our old friend Mary Fallon of Haddonfield.

Mayor Platt told us that this McCormick's is the first in the nation to open along with its sister restaurant, William Douglas Steakhouse -- named for founders Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick. The Steakhouse will open in a few weeks. While McCormicks & Schmick's will serve lunch and dinner, William Douglas will be a dinner-only destination, offering prime cuts of beef and such features as a live pianist. We got a sneak peak at the steakhouse and I can report that it is upscale - very clubby with dark woods, velvet drapes, comfortable chairs, soft lighting and intimate cushy booths.

BTW: This new McCormick's will feature the same low-priced happy hour as the Philadelphia eatery.

Mayor Platt is justifiably thrilled about the opening of McCormick's, William Douglas and all of the other developments along Cherry Hill's Haddonfield Road power corridor stretching from Route 70 to the Cherry Hill Mall where Crate and Barrel and The Container Store have already arrived and Nordstrom, Maggiano's and others will soon follow. Any town would give its all to have any one of these names while Cherry Hill has attracted all of these as well as Wegman's. And the list just seems to keep growing.

While we were at the party Bob Rovner reminded us of his radio programs: Senator Bob Rovner Talks To The Stars every Friday at 1 PM on WNWR, 1540 AM and his Saturday gig at 2 PM with Councilman Frank Rizzo on WWDB, 860 AM.

After we departed McCormick's we headed down the road a bit to Cold Stone Cremery and treated ourselves to White Chocolate and Sweet Cream.

Photo: Courier Post