Posted on 06/28/2005 3:07:59 PM PDT by Angry Republican
Montgomery County residents are voting with their wheels, driving over the Potomac River and out past Dulles International Airport for -- a supermarket.
Not just any supermarket, mind you.
Shopping at the new Wegmans in Sterling, Va., may mean driving 20-plus miles across the American Legion Bridge. But the 130,000-square-foot store -- more than twice the size of a typical Giant Food -- has people flocking to its free while-you-shop baby-sitting, its deluxe sushi and hot food bars and its second-floor mezzanine, where there are couches, coffee and seating for 200.
"We were just blown away," said Shelton Binstock of Potomac, who visited the store Sunday with his wife, Bella, at the suggestion of her brother, a food and wine connoisseur from Rockville and a Wegmans regular.
Experts say Wegmans, whose headquarters are in Rochester, N.Y., has re-energized the entire supermarket industry. Montgomery residents have written letters to the company -- and to the Montgomery County Council -- begging for a Wegmans closer to home.
But County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) proposes making life tougher for Wegmans, Wal-Mart and any other companies that want to bring megamarkets to Montgomery.
Citing sprawl and traffic concerns, Duncan wants to force big-box retailers to obtain a special zoning exception to zoning laws to build in the county. Any store with more than 10 percent groceries and 120,000 square feet would have to jump through the new hoop, though Duncan would exempt "club" stores such as Sam's Club and Costco, contending they do not generate as much traffic.
(Excerpt) Read more at gazette.net ...
Let me offer my unconditional endorsement of Wegmans. We have them in PA, and it is basically like the biggest full-service supermarket (hypermarche) you've ever seen, with a boutique/specialty grocery AND a health food store, all under one gigantic roof. It must be experienced to be believed.
My wife goes to the Wegmans in Sterling (we live in Herndon)...
The place rocks. They make some killer subs too.
Wow, a Democrat making things harder for businesses and consumers alike...imagine that.
We have a Wegmans nearby ... . It's very pretentious and we don't find the food to be that great. It's like an older generation yuppie spot.
Wegmans rocks. Half the reason my husband and I visit his sister in Orchard Park is to go to Wegmans. The BEST bagels. And their white-hots are delicious. My sister-in-law ships us orders during the summer. Mmmmmmmmmm!
Coming soon to neighborhoods all over the country, built on land that once belonged to private citizens who were silly enough to imagine that they actually owned it.
I must say I'm certainly looking forward to the Wegmans being built in Hunt Valley, MD. I've heard nothing but good things about this store. Being in the Fortune 500 Hall of Fame certainly helps.
Tehre is a Wegmans near my sisiter-in-law's house. We went there the last time we visited. It's a very interesting place. You cna shop and you can eat lunch there too.
It's been noted upthread that the place is very pretentious, and that's true. But when the deli food is like a good restaurant, who TF cares? ;O)
Just curious, what are white hots? Is it southern cuisine?
I live in PA-just recently - and learned they may build a wegmans/target very close to home in Mechanicsburg. But I work in VA and also live there during the week. I shop at this very wegmans the article refers to. It's clean and the food is good. Try their fried chicken. And the produce, dairy, and other things are similar to what you pay in giant.
One of the few things that helped get me through the eternal winters of Central New York was Wegman's. An interesting variety of products, nice presentation, and miles ahead of the dreary, predictable, limited opposition.
When my daughter was at Penn State, Wegman's was always one of the stops we included on a visit. OK, Wegman's and the Creamery.
We have a saying up herethat goes:
Can't buy that House, cause its too fer from Wegmans!!
Wegmans is a happening and we are within several miles of their flag store in this area with a 2nd story Cafe that seats 250 cheese shop with 500 types, etc. Its out of this World!
try the marco polo bagel, toasted.
White-hots are similar to bratwurst. Wegman's take them to a higher level. They are just great grilled and served with New York hot sauce, (a sort of thin, very spicy, chili), mustard and chopped onions on top. The skin gets crisp as they are grilled while the inside is moist. So they POP when you bite into them. O.K. Now I'm hungry for one, I'm in Houston, my freezer is empty, and it's a LONG way to Orchard Park. Time to make a phone call!
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