The New Kid on the Block

By Caroline Clough in Food on Aug 30, 2006 8:47PM

Yesterday Chicagoist checked out the new kid on the organic grocery store block, Sunflower Markets. Located at 1910 N. Clybourn Avenue and festooned in orange and yellow, Sunflower Markets is looking to give everyone who cries at the Whole Foods checkout counter, or who finds the produce selection at Trader Joe's a little lacking, an alternative shopping experience. As we walked around the brightly lit, easily manageable aisles we found that some items (organic orange juice, eggs, young chickens) were, in fact, less pricey than at the aforementioned competition. Though some items like our beloved Amy's cheese enchiladas seemed to be selling at the same price. Because this was a "sneak peek" we helped ourselves to the myriad samples of cheese, wine, pizza (served to us by girls in bright green vinyl dresses), potato salad (especially tasty) and delectable chocolate peanut butter desserts.

We listened as Glenn Backus, general manager of the store, extolled the virtues of their first Chicago location and promised more stores to come throughout the area. We did wonder why Sunflower Markets chose a stretch of street already housing two other similarly geared grocery stores ... but we've decided that the new kid doesn't want to just fit in, they want to stand out!

Sunflower Markets is new not only in Chicago, but overall, its first store opened in Indianapolis this past January. Their motto is "good natured savings" and their intent is to make shopping organically easy. Backus said at one point in his welcoming speech that "Life is complicated enough as it is. Grocery shopping doesn't have to be." We certainly agree to that. The store has self-checkout lanes as well as pay-by-touch finger scanners to speed your exit from the store. In an effort to stay in touch with the community the store also stocks products from 24 different local businesses including Red Hen Bakery, Plitt Seafood, Goose Island Beer Company, El Ranchero (mmm, tortilla chips) and Chicago Soydairy. Their selection of frozen goods beats that of Whole Foods, is certainly more aesthetically pleasing than Trader Joe's, and is complete with an array of Boca and Gardenburger products (not to mention a healthy ice cream selection for vegans and non-vegans). Overall, we were impressed, especially when we got to be in a photograph with Franco Harris (formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, currently involved in organic bread).

Whether or not this new kid will go on to become the prom king or get his head stuck in a toilet is unclear, but we certainly will come back for more.