New Aldi store in Batavia spacious, inviting
The aisles are more plentiful and spacious but they were filling up quickly Thursday morning.
And early reviews were favorable for the Aldi grocery store's move from Windmill Creek to a new Batavia location, next to Hobby Lobby on Randall Road.
An army of Aldi executives and Batavia city and chamber officials were milling about the 11,000-square-foot sales floor during the store's grand opening.
Because my wife and I have been shopping at Aldi on a regular basis for more than 20 years, we weren't about to pass up the chance to roam around this new store, with nearly 3,000 more square feet than the previous store.
“This was just a matter of finding the best location we could, and in addition to having our newer look here, it also spaces out our stores a little better since it is farther away from our North Aurora store,” said Scott Patton, vice president of Aldi's Batavia division.
Customers had to reacquaint themselves with where their favorite items were located in the new store, but most were impressed with what they were seeing in the more modern look, featuring more refrigerated areas; a better layout with a center aisle across the store; and more apparent graphics on the walls marking the store's different areas.
Having worked in a grocery store during my high school and college years, I have no problem bagging my own groceries or bringing my cart back to the store to collect the quarter deposited to unchain the cart.
“That represents cost savings to our customers,” Patton said of the cart system and bagging one's own groceries. “We're still at a 40 to 50 percent savings over other stores.”
Store manager Sam Kolaites was happy to finally open his new store, ending an eight-month planning process since he first heard of the move.
“Everything in here is brand new,” said Kolaites, who closed his Windmill Creek store for the last time at 6 p.m. the night before the move. “All of the products we had at the other store were still good, of course, and were distributed to other Aldi locations. For this grand opening, we wanted everything to be new.”
This store at 451 N. Randall Road now becomes our prime Aldi location because it is so close to our home. And it's something I would have never thought possible, say, 30 years ago that I'd actually be excited about the opening of a grocery store.
Those eye-catchers
A few “different” holiday decorations catch my eye each year in the Tri-Cities area, mostly in the downtown regions. They are different only in that I didn't notice them before, so it's possible they've been up in the past.
In downtown Geneva, the Christmas lights on the outer edge of the old Geneva Theater marquee atop The Ale House are a nice touch that draws your attention quickly.
The First Street redevelopment in St. Charles is taking hold in such a way that you can see it will be a bright spot during the holiday season. The lights and decorations in and around the plaza area bring another dose of holiday cheer.
The Limestone Coffee and Tea shop on Wilson Street in downtown Batavia has a nice lights display on its storefront.
You don't want to take your eyes off the road for long while motoring down Randall Road, but the Santa, his sleigh and loyal reindeer hard at work atop of the Fox Valley Orthopaedics building is hard to miss.
Fancy wear for food
A new gourmet hamburger restaurant opening in the Geneva Commons on Dec. 14 has been mentioned in previous columns. But now the public relations folks working for Tom and Eddie's inform me that anyone dressed in a Santa or Mrs. Santa suit, or dressed in formal wear, will earn a free meal during the first nine days of the restaurant's grand opening.
It's being called “Dressed to the Nines,” which ties in with the fact that the restaurant's menu offers nine gourmet burgers.
So, dust off that tuxedo, or that Santa costume, and enjoy a freebie at one of Geneva's newest eateries.
Getting airtime
Geneva stores are finding their way onto our television screens lately. The high quality of Bien Trucha is no longer a secret shared by only Genevans. The popular Mexican restaurant at 410 W. State St. was recently featured on “Check Please” on WTTW-11 and is in line for another plug on WGN-TV.
And Park Place Interiors in the Dodson Place plaza will be on TV when owner Kathleen Newhouse is featured on a show called “House Smarts” to be aired at 11 a.m. next Sunday on NBC-5. Show hosts will be interviewing Newhouse about a dining room she decorated inside of a Batavia home.
A tasty shop
If you haven't had a chance to visit Alain Roby's chocolate kitchen project on Third Street in Geneva, do so before the holiday season is over. Roby, the senior corporate pastry chef for Hyatt Hotels, will be closing his shop at 507 S. Third St. at the end of the year.
It's a chance to taste some great chocolate and help the worthy cause of the Saving Tiny Hearts organization for children with heart defects. Roby's been able to share his talents and help those children because Geneva developer Kent Shodeen offered use of the open storefront in the Dodson Place retail center.
dheun@sbcglobal.net