20 replies to this topic

[dustin]

Does anyone know what is happening with the Minyards on Beach and Belknap (377)? It is the one damaged in last year's tornado. They were working on it pretty regularly, but seem to have stopped a few months ago. I had heard that Minyards planned on reopening it with a nicer store, something to compete with the walmart down the street. I have always thought it would be a great spot for a nice grocery store, especially with the revitalization happening around Race street.

[Saginaw]

I didn't know that there was any construction activity going on there, dustin. The last time I passed by there, which was about a month ago, it looked the same as it has since the tornado. I assumed it would reopen again, but since the Wal-Mart Supercenter is just down the street, I don't know.

Might be worth e-mailing Minyards to find out.


--Saginaw

[carltodd]

The Star Telegram had an article right after the 1 year mark of the tornado. Minyards was talked about it and they are suppose to reopen by the end of the year. Sounded like they are in a disagreement with the insurance company over it and that has caused the major delay.

[O.Prime]

Even if most of the Minyard's stores had not been sold it would not have reopened. My understanding is that the building can't pass inspection and will have to be torn down.

[Brian Luenser]

I took a close look at the store yesterday. (While sitting at that red light for like 9 minutes) I see less signs of life than the Mars rover is seeing.
I was thinking (Again, in that 9 minute time-frame) how I used to shop at that store in 1983 when I was working in Public Accounting in Fort Worth. I lived in Arlington at the time and sure thought it was about the fanciest store I had ever shopped at. Large wine room etc... Decades later that same store would more likely sell 48oz. bottles of beer. "Really icky" I think is the proper Marketing term. I think that tornado brought that store sweet relief. Now that being said, I think a store is in order there based on how crowded that Wal-Mart is just to the South.

[dustin]

It would be really nice to have a proper grocery store there. I hate shopping at that walmart because of the crowds and the exactly 2 people they have staffing the 75 checkout lanes. I also am consistently disappointed in their produce. I would really love to see some kind of nicer grocery store, but I understand that the surrounding neighborhood doesn't LOOK like it could support it. I would disagree, but I don't have any real evidence just anecdotal observations. Lord knows, we couldn't ever get a whole foods, but a nice Tom Thumb or something similar would be awesome.

[Dismuke]

I also avoid that particular Wal-mart. If I need to go to Wal-mart I will try to stop at the one in Hurst on my way home from work. That is one of their cleaner and better stocked stores in the area. If I am at home when I need to go, I go to the one near Carswell - which is slightly better than the Riverside location. The problem is not so much with the stores themselves but the consequences of them being so heavily shopped.

I seriously doubt that another store will replace the Minyards - unless perhaps it is an ethnic chain or something along the lines of Save-A-Lot or Aldi. Think about it - when was the last time you recall seeing a conventional supermarket open a brand new store in the Metroplex? Albertsons and Tom Thumb have been closing stores over the past several years. Kroger is doing better and it is possible they have opened new stores - but I guarantee you that if such is the case they are very few in number and in areas with VERY specific and desirable demographics.

There is a reason why the parking lot at Wal-mart is full and people have carts full of groceries while the conventional stores have much less traffic and it is rare these days to see shopping carts full of groceries. All you have to do is compare prices. If someone is buying groceries for an entire family or if one's circumstances require one to be price conscious (which is the case with the vast majority of the population) filling your cart up at a conventional supermarket these days with identical items one can get at a place such as Wal-mart is basically like throwing money down a drain.

The only time I go to a conventional supermarket these days is if I am in a hurry and only need a few items. In those cases the savings in time and hassle and gas more than make up for the price difference. In other words, I basically use such stores as convenience stores - and judging by the size of the typical purchases I see when I am in those stores, so do a lot of other people. The problem is that the size and scope of those stores require a certain amount of volume in order to be viable - and it is hard to maintain volume when the average number of items purchased is declining.

Another place where the parking lot is usually quite full is stores such as Central Market and Market Street, both of which are killing the conventional supermarkets from the end of the spectrum that is interested in quality and variety. My experience is that prices at Central Market are usually lower than identical items sold in the specialty sections at Albertsons and Tom Thumb. So even at the high end a conventional supermarket does not offer a price advantage and is at a major disadvantage in terms of quality and variety. I suspect the only locations where they really make much money these days are in parts of town that do not have a Central Market/Market Street within a convenient drive. As those higher end chains expand, unless the conventional chains reinvent themselves somehow, they are going to continue to fade away.

I personally make periodic stops at Wal-mart and stock up on staple items as much as possible to limit the number of visits that I need to make. I eat a LOT of fresh produce - and these days I get it at a produce stand on Belknap which offers better prices than I can get elsewhere. Fiesta sometimes has slightly better prices than the produce stand - but I became very frustrated with their increasingly frequent quality issues. I can get red bell peppers at the produce stand for 79 cents each - elsewhere they are $3 - $5 each. I buy about 5 peppers per week. Shopping elsewhere I would either have to downgrade to green peppers and still pay more or else fork over an additional $8 - $11 per week for that one item alone. My savings on bell peppers alone more than pays for the gas to drive out to Haltom City and back. That which I cannot find at Wal-mart I get a Central Market or on occasional trips to Indian, Oriental and Hispanic ethnic stores. I will admit that my shopping habits are a bit unconventional - but I suspect they are becoming less so, which would NOT be a good thing for conventional supermarkets.

My guess is the only chain that might be interested in the old Minyards location is Fiesta - but even they might be a bit intimidated with a Wal-mart so close by. I wonder if the property was part of the Fiesta buyout of Minyard assets.

[Dismuke]

By the way, I suspect that the Grocers' Supply/Fiesta Mart buyout of the Carnival chain from Minyard's is basically the beginning of the end for Minyards.

The press releases say that the purpose of the sale was that it is too difficult to focus on three brands in a competitive market and that the sale enables them to focus on the Minyard brand.

But that completely contradicts everything that the company has done since it was purchased from the Minyard family. The company has spent all of its capital and time on building up and expanding the Carnival concept which they have explicitly stated was the only one of their three brands that they felt was viable in the long term. When the buyout took place from the Minyard family, they actually offered to buy out all of the Fiesta stores in the Metroplex - and Fiesta was not interested in selling. They spent a great deal of money and publicity building up a new flagship Carnival prototype in Oak Cliff which they were going to roll out chain wide. The plan all along was to rebrand stores to Carnival and gradually phase out Minyards and Sack-And-Save.

Why would they sell the parts of the company that they viewed as most viable instead of the parts that they considered less viable? Does that make sense?

It makes sense if the investors behind the company want to get out of the grocery business and wind things down.

My strong guess is the Carnival band and the individual Minyard and Sack-And-Save stores that were bundled with it are the ONLY parts of the company that are viable to anyone else. My guess is the stores they are hanging on to are the ones that are still somewhat profitable due to neighborhood loyalty but which would not make sense for anyone else to operate. My guess is they will get a nice chunk of change from the sale of Carnival and either try to sell the remaining stores to someone else or simply operate individual stores for as long as remain profitable and gradually fade away.

The notion advanced in the news stories and press releases that they plan on reinvesting in the Minyard brand makes no sense at all. Carnival had a viable place in the market because it appealed to a specialized but large market. What on earth would a brand new Minyard store offer over the other chains? If Safeway/Tom Thumb and the new owners of the local Albertsons stores are struggling to compete with Wal-mart/Central Market, etc. how on earth does tiny Minyard think it can? The only thing it has going for it is loyalty to existing locations - something which tends not to last as new stores open and neighborhood demographics evolve. The company's press releases made it pretty clear that the reason they bought Minyards was for Carnival. Now that they don't have Carnival, what are the odds of them wanting to keep what's left in any long-term sort of way?

[hannerhan]

You seem to know a lot about Minyards/Carnival, press releases, investment strategy, etc. Maybe the Fiesta offer was just too good to refuse? (which still wouldn't negate your original point)

[Dismuke]

You seem to know a lot about Minyards/Carnival, press releases, investment strategy, etc.

My knowledge on the subject is not authoritative and I have no connections with the industry. But the very, very brutal competition between the various supermarket chains and how that business is rapidly evolving (in ways very much to the advantage of customers and to the disadvantage of long-time incumbent operators) is something that I find fascinating and keep up with. It is also an industry that I am a customer of so it is one that I have very definite opinions about in terms of the various companies. I have lived in the area most of my life so I have seen a LOT of very dramatic changes and shifts in that competition - which makes it even more interesting for me to watch. I guess I am a bit strange - I have never been into things like following sports teams which bores me to no end. But following certain industries slug it out is something that I do find fascinating.

Maybe the Fiesta offer was just too good to refuse? (which still wouldn't negate your original point)

Possibly. I have not read who made the offer.

A few years ago, Fiesta was purchased by Grocer's Supply, a grocery wholesale company which, like Fiesta, is based in Houston. Fiesta was their largest customer and grocers' wholesale companies are in an uncomfortable position as their customers fall to market pressures from Walmart and elsewhere. If Fiesta decided to self-distribute or sell out to another company, Grocer's Supply would have been in deep doo doo. So they bought out Fiesta which makes a lot of sense. It is Grocers supply that is actually buying the Carnival stores. Some will end up going to Fiesta. Others will be sold to independent operators who happen to be Grocer's Supply customers. I also read that Grocers Supply will also continue operating some of them as Carnivals.

Fiesta has a few large superstores in Houston which are very cool and have very large international food sections. Some even have bulk and health food sections. Depending on the neighborhood, you will find Jamaican, Eastern European, Indian, Oriental, etc. sections in the larger Houston stores. Most of the DFW Fiestas I have been in are small and the one in Irving is downright nasty. The one on 8th Ave here in Fort Worth is the nicest Metroplex one I have been in and actually does have an international section - though it is very small. I have never been impressed by the Carnival stores that I have been in - though the one by the stockyards used to carry Goya Ginger Beer soda pop which I am very fond of and which would I would go there to buy. I certainly think we are better off with Fiesta buying Carnival rather than the other way around.

[hannerhan]

If it was my decision to make and I owned Minyards, I think I could find better and less labor-intensive investments in the current market, as opposed to slogging it out fighting with the Fiesta's and Wal-Mart's of the world. You're right that it's just a brutal business to be in.

[Stadtplan]

....prices at Central Market are usually lower...

I couldn't resist…I never thought I would see these words in the same sentence.


My shopping experiences are similar. I cook a lot so I buy a lot of fresh food and find myself going to at least 4 different stores each week. When in Seattle recently, Whole Foods (aka “Whole Paycheck”) was asking $3 per avocado. The Neighborhood Wal-Mart on Meadowbrook and 820 had horrible produce last year, but this week I probably spent $50 on produce and admit that it was better than Tom Thumb for quality, price and selection. They even had organic green cabbage and parsnips. Green’s Produce in Dalworthington Gardens (Arkansas and Roosevelt) has a good selection and prices as well.

[AndyN]

Wait a minute, Dismuke.... What produce stand on Belknap? Where is that?

I would shop the Minyards just to keep from going to WalMart. I sure hope there is an alternative rebuilt there whether it is a Fiesta or whatever.

[Dismuke]

Wait a minute, Dismuke.... What produce stand on Belknap? Where is that?

I would shop the Minyards just to keep from going to WalMart. I sure hope there is an alternative rebuilt there whether it is a Fiesta or whatever.

The produce stand is at:

5507 E Belknap St
Haltom City, TX 76117
(817) 838-8526

It is open year round. Their prices on most items are very reasonable - though this year what constitutes "reasonable" in terms of produce prices is a lot more than what it has been. From what I have seen, they also appear to run a wholesale business out of the same location.

There are two grocery stores down Belknap - though they are targeted towards Asians. I don't know the names of the shopping centers they are in. The one on your left hand side as you are driving away from Fort Worth is located in a former Save-A-Lot location and opened most recently of the two. I have only been in it twice - but I found it to be a lot more orderly than the other one and it had decent produce prices the times I was in it. The other one is on your right hand side as you head away from Fort Worth in a shopping center that also has a Mrs. Baird's outlet store. This grocery has been open for a number of years and has been very crowded every time I have been in.

Also, Andy - if you still live in the house near Samuels that you posted about awhile back, two alternatives to the Wal-mart are the Fiesta and Carnival stores near the Stockyards and they are about the same distance away from you as the Minyards. Just go up Samuels to Decatur, go up Decatur, turn left on 183/NE 28th. Fiesta is just before you get to Main and the Carnival is right after it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fiesta ends up moving into the Carnival store after the buyout as it is the larger and newer building.

[AndyN]

Yeah, I've been to both of those. It just seems like the Minyards site was a little more convenient. Haven't been to the asian markets yet. I'll have to check out the produce stand. There appears to be a hispanic stand on University west of Jacksboro Hwy, but I haven't ventured there yet.

[Dismuke]

I'll have to check that Hispanic stand out. It certainly would be closer and more convenient for me than Haltom City. Thanks for mentioning it.

[Fort Worthology]

As an aside, there are some plans for a grocery market at the Urban Race Street development, on the part of the property that fronts Belknap. As that project moves ahead, will be interesting to see if that works out.

[Dismuke]

There appears to be a hispanic stand on University west of Jacksboro Hwy, but I haven't ventured there yet.

I stopped by there this afternoon. The place seems to be a small flea market - lots of stalls for individual vendors. This is not to be confused with the much larger flea market on Henderson closer to downtown Fort Worth. I apparently got there too late in the day as it looked like people were packing up to leave. When I went inside I did see one stall with an assortment of produce including baskets of tomatoes that looked awfully good. Unfortunately, there was nobody manning the stall so I could not inquire about price. Nor did I make any effort to locate the owner because it occurred to me that all I had with me was my debit/credit/atm card. My guess is a place like that is not set up to take charge cards and that one must pay in cash - which I very rarely carry these days. So I just headed over to Haltom City. I will check the place out some other time earlier in the day.

[AndyN]

Thanks for the update. Not to get so far off topic, but I suppose we are looking for alternatives to the Minyards at Beach & Belknap. I got some really nice tomatoes at Albertson's today, but I wouldn't normally drive that far for my produce.

[Dismuke]

As a follow up, I forgot to mention that a couple of weeks ago I made a side trip up to Southlake to check out one of the locations of Sprouts Farmers' Markets, a rapidly growing chain that I have been reading about but had yet to visit.

The best way I can describe Sprouts is that it is a smaller scale and less expensive version of Whole Foods.

My primary interest in the visit was to check out their produce section. Southlake is out of my way in terms of my normal travel pattern - but the detour to get up there on my way home from work is about the same time and distance wise as what I spend driving from home to the Haltom City produce stand. I was definitely pleased with what I saw both in terms of quality and price.

From a price standpoint, I would guess that, overall, if one is purchasing multiple items as I always do, their produce prices are comparable to the Haltom City produce stand. They are a LOT lower than what you will find in conventional chains such as Albertsons, Tom Thumb and Kroger.

Unlike the produce stand, Sprouts runs loss leader specials - and the week I was there they had white nectarines and white peaches for 69 cents per pound which, considering the way prices have been this year, is very good. They also had cantaloupes for $1.25 each which would not be so great in a normal year (I used to get them at Fiesta for 50 cents each) but is lower than any I have seen this year - and they were delicious. I have been buying red bell peppers at the produce stand for 79 cents, the price they charge for all colors of peppers. Sprouts had red bell peppers for 79 cents and green ones for 50 cents. I thought I would try the green ones for a change. They looked nice - but unfortunately, they turned out to be slightly bitter tasting. I can't really hold that one instance too much against the store given that produce supplies and quality is definitely something that constantly fluctuates. I also got some very nice broccoli for 99 cents per pound. The other items I purchased were more expensive than what I normally pay at the produce stand - but not outrageously so.

Their produce department is divided up into two sections, a large conventional produce section and a smaller organic section. I did not check out the prices in the organics section. I have never bought into the phobia against fertilizers and pesticides so the fact that something is organic per se is not a value-add for me and not something I am willing to pay extra for. (There are cases, however, where organic produce does have a value-add in that it is often produced on a small scale basis which allows for plant varieties which taste better but are not commercially viable in terms of the harvesting, storage and shipping requirements of large scale agriculture. For example, large scale tomato production requires that all plants set fruit at the same time as the harvesting machinery kills the plant. They are also harvested green to allow a longer shipping and storage window. Small scale farmers, on the other hand, are not necessarily limited by such requirements so they have more latitude for selecting better tasting varieties - and they have a powerful incentive to do so as they have to do something to justify the higher costs. Indeed, anymore, a lot of specialty farmers go organic simply because it results in a wider market for their already niche products.)

Like Whole Foods and Central Market, Sprouts have a bulk items section. I only glanced at it enough to determine that Central Market's section has more of the sort of items that I purchase. They did NOT have a bulk specialty tea section which was a disappointment. Whole Foods seems to be phasing theirs out. Central Market's is ok - but the one in Austin, which I visited a week ago, now has a much better one than what Fort Worth has and sells a variety that I very much liked and which the Fort Worth store stopped selling.

I only glanced at the other sections and did not pay too much attention to their prices. Produce is by far the single biggest expense in my grocery expenditures and the one thing I really bother shop shop around for competitively. As for the rest of my grocery purchases, that which I cannot get at Wal-mart, I get at Central Market and occasional trips to Indian and Asian markets. There is a certain point beyond which shopping around has diminishing returns as one also must factor in time, hassle and gas.

The Sprouts chain is expanding rapidly and I have read that they eventually plan to open in Fort Worth - which I hope they do sooner rather than later. If they had a location that was closer or more convenient to me than the produce stand, they would probably get my produce business and, since I would already be there, a certain percentage of my Central Market business as well. It is definitely something that those who live in the northern part of Tarrant County looking for more reasonably priced produce options ought to check out.

Whole Foods certainly needs to watch out as chains such as Sprouts and Central Market come along and do a better job at serving certain segments of their traditional customer base. And the recent assertion of the FTC that Whole Foods is some sort of "monopoly" is bizarre and absurd - there are all sorts of stores that are now trying to make a grab for the same customer base.

[Stadtplan]

It would be really nice to have a proper grocery store there. I hate shopping at that walmart because of the crowds and the exactly 2 people they have staffing the 75 checkout lanes. I also am consistently disappointed in their produce. I would really love to see some kind of nicer grocery store, but I understand that the surrounding neighborhood doesn't LOOK like it could support it. I would disagree, but I don't have any real evidence just anecdotal observations. Lord knows, we couldn't ever get a whole foods, but a nice Tom Thumb or something similar would be awesome.

 

I happened to be in the Wal-Mart on Beach St. a few Saturdays ago sourcing a particular car battery that was hard to find due to supply chain shortages.  This particular Wal-Mart had plenty of the item I needed in-stock and it had been a fair number of years since I had visited this location.  I happened to ask what appeared to be a visiting corporate trainer a question and he told me this particular store was being tested as a new e-commerce hub location.  I found this article online explaining the concept.  

 

https://www.business...-a-test-2020-10