Or at least it was last Tuesday. As I previously mentioned in this post, I’ve been excited for Foodie’s to open a grocery store in Southie — around the corner from my apartment — for some time. As much as I love my neighborhood, we don’t really have any options for groceries, short of going to Stop & Shop on the east side or into the city. And there’s nowhere to get prepared food either. There’s been talk of the store opening going as far back as 2010, but starting this past spring, we began to see real progress, as contractors started renovating the long-vacant Chocolate and Nuts Factory on Broadway.
I’d heard lots of rumors that they were very close to opening, but the rumors never materialized. Here’s a sample of some Foodies-related nets publish over the past couple years:
“Foodies will be South Boston’s first big gourmet market, and the Globe story includes, perhaps, the best indicator of the extent of Southie’s gentrification we’ve ever read: “Jeff Cram, 34, who moved to nearby A Street last year, said he was pleased about the new store. He said he and his wife, who is expecting a baby, sometimes have to go as far as the Whole Foods stores near Beacon Hill or in Cambridge to get groceries.” Foodies Southie will open next spring” – Grub Street, May 10, 2012
“Get ready, South Boston: family-owned Foodie’s Market is poised to open a new store in our neighborhood sometime this summer. This is big news – indeed, it is GREAT news – for all who appreciate food of the highest quality and outstanding customer service” – Living in South Boston, June 7, 2012
“I’ve been meaning to post this update for several weeks as many readers are interested in what’s going on with Foodie’s South Boston. This exclusive information comes direct from the owner. As many of you know, there have been delays at the site. The owner said it was due to construction and design issues, as well as some problems in the basement. The good news is they’ll be opening in September 2012” – The Terrier Group, June 25, 2012
“Most notably, for all your grocery needs, Foodie’s Market will be opening in South Boston this month” – Boston Hospitality Industry, October 4, 2012
“Foodies South Boston ‘weeks away from opening‘” – West Broadway Neighborhood Association, October 19, 2012
“Coming to South Boston the last week of November 2012” – Foodies Website, November 6, 2012
While the dates kept getting pushed back, I could see the storefront coming along, and was optimistic that the store really would open this year. And then yesterday, I see this:
“A two-alarm fire has pushed back the opening of the much-anticipated West Broadway grocery store Foodies, according to a representative for the company.The store, which was built on the former site of the American Nut & Chocolate Company, was originally slated to open the week after Thanksgiving, but that has been pushed back to mid-December” – Boston.com, November 16, 2012
Thankfully nobody was hurt and it sounds like insurance will cover all of the damage. But wow — what terrible luck. Hopefully they’ll do better in 2013. Given their past forecast reliability, I’m not too bullish on a December opening, although I’d love to be wrong.