Quick Review of the new F'nE: "Frankly, I'm underwhelmed."

Tesco's new Fresh and Easy opened up Thursday in 6 different cities. My friends and I have been anxiously awaiting the opening because that area was in desparate need of another supermarket. If the Hubband and I wanted to make waffles on Saturday morning but didn't have enough eggs, we'd have to schlep all the way down to the not-so-great Ralphs on Colorado & Verdugo (not far really, but we're lazy - it's the weekend after all) Plus, the F'nE was touted as a grocery store with "Lots of fresh and wholesome food choices, including prepared meals and organic foods, [that] make healthy eating easy and affordable."

So, we went to opening day over at the F'nE, and I'm still trying to figure out how best to describe the place. To quote a certain funny, fabulous judge on Project Runway, "Frankly, I'm underwhelmed." It was like a Trader Joe sized Costco. It was very industrial and wherehouse-y on the inside. Much smaller than the building that houses it. I knew that it was only 1/2 of the store, but it was much less than I expected. There was a lot of "Fresh and Easy" brand products, ranging from juice to cereal to brown rice. Other brands were also available, but it wasn't really the same amount of variety that I was used to at a regular grocery store. Some of the food also came in smaller portion sizes. For instance: a bag salad for one.

Since it was so industrial, we both felt like the place was lacking any kind of personality. They had logos all over the place, and several friendly workers on hand to staff the bustling day, but overall, it didn't seem like a place that you'd want to meander and discover things in. More like - go in, pick items, pay for items, leave - kind of thing. I don't think it helped either that the place was packed. It was as if a hurricane were set to hit Glassell Park, and everyone was rushing to the store to stock up on supplies. "What kind of supplies?! Doesn't matter! Just grab something! Hurry! Hurry! Aaaaagggghhhh!" There were seriously empty shelves everywhere.

So, overall, the new F'nE was kinda okay. There are some really nice things about it like the smaller portions and the ready-to-eat meals, but at the same time, didn't really feel warm or welcoming. It will be great for picking up those eggs on Saturday morning, but I wouldn't go there if I was planning some gourmet foodie type of extravaganza. For now, I'm going to give it some more time to see what it's like after the honeymoon is over and it starts operating on an everyday schedule without 5 million people trying to jockey for the last tub of pre-made cookie dough. I'm not giving up yet!

Here is the take from LAist, as well as some photos.