Two Story Harris Teeter at North Hills
Many of you have already known this but Triangle Business Journal recently did an article that publicized the fact that a two-story Harris Teeter grocery store will be the main tenant in the future St. Albans building at North Hills East, the area that is still under construction across from the main North Hills development.
The new double-decker Harris Teeter will open in 2009 and occupy a 48,200 square-foot area in the new building. Unfortunately for Alexan residents who enjoy the quick walk to Harris Teeter now, the current store will close when the new one opens. It has not been determined (to my knowledge) what will occupy the space where the current Harris Teeter lives.
What do you think about having a two-story grocery store? Ever been to one? If so, what is it like?
Original story - http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2008/06/02/focus4.html
They must be doing a lot of volume! Or planning on it…
Also inconvenient for the future Lassiter residents.
I’ve been to 2 level Harris Teeters and they’re pretty cool. I don’t think I’ve ever gone upstairs in one though. They usually just put personal care, baby stuff, pharmacy items, and stuff like that upstairs.
I hope they have better parking in the new location though!
Tracy
We had one in Arlington, VA. Upstairs was the pharmacy and other drugstore items, along with the florist and wine. My only reason for venturing upstairs was usually to pick out some wine, or else to use the bathrooms late at night while walking home from the Metro stop.
Just a random bit of info for those even care. In the Northeast there is Wegmans and I have eaten in second floor of the Cafe. The also have a newer store in Rochester. It is one of the nocest grocery stores I have ever been in. The following is from their Website:
Tastings, Wegmans’ first full-service restaurant showcases the best fresh fare “from the market next door.” Adjacent to Wegmans’ Pittsford store in Rochester, NY, Tastings seats about 130, plus there are rooms on the second floor for banquets, private functions, or meetings.
– Cheers
The HT in Arlington, VA is nice, although as stated, many folks never make it to the 2nd floor unless they are looking for wine. I also am very familiar with Wegmans (it was the #1 grocery store in the US) – HT should look at that as a model where a second floor has successfully made use of the space. It would also be great to put a Whole Foods in the old HT spot.
I hope they’ll have the online grocery ordering/pick-up service at this store — would add to the convenience factor.
I have no proof, but from what I have heard, the Harris Teeter that currently stands in NH will become a Fresh Market once the double decker HT opens.
[...] million, 900,000 square-foot, mixed-use, retail and residential project and will be home to the two-story Harris Teeter we’ve written about [...]
I work for Harris Teeter, The new north Hills store is a very nice store,The features are awesome there is a fruit and juice bar, Pizza bar with monday specials, an awesome deli and meat dept. You should really come in feb 10th just to check it out. It is very nice and I am going to love working in the new store. Oh ps Monday night pizza specials are 7.99 for any 16 inch pizza. fresh made of course!
No joe there will not be a fresh market going into the old harris teeter store My husband works for the store on falls. who knows where the old store is headed but hope that it brings in a new buisness.
I have just returned from the new two story Harris Teeter. It’s a disaster, mainly because of the two story concept. If, like probably most shoppers, you are pushing a cart the only access to the second floor is a rather small elevator which will hold maximally maybe three or four people and their carts. This was bad enough today (02/13/2010) but I shudder to imagine the mayhem which will occur during peak hours or when people are trying to stock up on account of an impending snowstorm or hurricane. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that commonly purchased staple items are on the second floor; were the second floor limited to specialties or rarely bought commodities the concept might just work, and would be guaranteed to at least work better.
The other hassle is the parking garage. I’ve heard other negative comments but I objected to two things in particular. First, there are not enough cart collection spaces. I only found one and it was a significant distance from where I was parked. I usually return carts to designated spaces, and at the old Teeter at North Hills would often walk the cart right back up to the front door, but at the new one I left it by a friendly support column rather than walking half the length of the garage to return it to the collection point.
The second objection is the layout of the garage itself. I parked at an intersection where two lanes, one from the upper level, come to stop signs. There is additionally another lane approaching from another direction. I think the result is going to resemble the bumper car ride at an old amusement park.
The store itself is well stocked, though to a large extent mainly just with more of what was already available at the old store.
Based upon this visit to the new Harris Teeter my wife and I intend to switch our trade to the nearby Kroger’s. Ideally another grocery will go into the vacated Harris Teeter premises on Lassiter Mill Road and we will then shop there.
I will NEVER go back to the new HT. I can’t stand to have to go upstairs for cleaning supplies, snacks, drinks etc.
If they are going to force you to use both floors to get your “mass” grocery list shopping done, then they should have planned it better and had escalators that keep you moving, versus waiting for an elevator. Poorly planned and a pain in the neck to shop in. I’m going back to Glenwood Village. I think men must have designed the layout of the two story store. No offense…. but it’s just a rediculous layout and not in the least practical.
Poor design planning for this Harris Teeter. I expected with the two story HT they would have put the Food Court upstairs for eating in and dining/shopping. Not tables no one uses and cleaning baking etc. Plus I was in there last time a fire alarm went off and stayed on for at least fifteen minutes. Staff not certain what customers should do…continue shopping or exit? When I inquired if there was a problem in the store they said no the apt building. They are on the same connection to Fire Dept so anytime there is a problem in an apt in the building housing the HT, off goes the smoke alarm. I went by the other day to perhaps give them another try and saw the fire dept engine pulling up…I kept on going. What a waste of a golden opportunity. There is a HT in Greensboro, NC that has an entire section devoted to Food Court, and ‘other shopping’ areas, like pots, pans gift selections. I would have thought this would have been what the second floor was used for. They better make some changes or this is going to be one big flop. I live five min from this HT, was anticipating its opening and now…another dud.
The Harris Teeter at North Hills is beautiful, but I will feel no need to go back there. The parking garage was a problem for me, but now that I know how to get to the entrance of the store, it would not be in the future. I felt like the produce department took up half the downstairs. I mean how many places do you need to display naval oranges? In comparison I felt the meat department was small. I had trouble finding the meat items I wanted. The hot food, pizza bar, and other take out bars in the area of produce are nice, but I cook – I don’t go to the grocery store to get take out. Upstairs is health and beauty, paper products, detergent and cleaning products, and cereal and breakast stuff, dog and cat food. I have pets, I do laundry and I eat breakfast – I don’t drink. I don’t have a thing agaisnt drinking, but why not put the booze upstairs and move the other staples downstairs. The elevator is small, and I had to wait for it for a while. I heard on the radio this morning that this store has different specials from the other stores. I think that is a little unfair. Because I parked outside the parking deck, I had to take an elevator up to the street level that I parked on to get to my car.
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