Publix Curbside... No Longer!

We received this email (below) in regards to the Publix Curbside service... Not-so-long story short, ALL Publix's offering curbside will be canceling that service on January 28th, 2012. It's a sad, sad day for those busy professionals and parents with 18 kids. Instead of spending 30 minutes online shopping, you'll have to spend 30 minutes inside a Publix store... terrible!  In my opinion, curbside was a pretty neat service, but just tough to execute well. We tried it out when they first started last summer, and it's pretty cool to just pull up and have someone load all your groceries into you car, but just doesn't really warrant spending extra time online and extra money ($8). Plus I really enjoy going up and down the aisles looking at all the food and buying way more than I actually need.

See below for the notice to customers.

Dear Curbside Customer,

We appreciate your household being a customer of our Curbside service. We regret to inform you that as of January 28th, we will no longer be offering our Curbside service in our 3 Curbside test locations. January 27th will be the last day to place an order for pickup on Saturday, January 28th.

Before we approve a new product or service at Publix, we establish an expectation of financial, as well as customer service, results. While our Curbside associates have created many loyal Curbside customers, the number of consistent customers who chose to use this service was considerably less than required to meet our predetermined expectations. The majority of our customers love their Publix and still prefer to have the interaction with our associates. It's part of the customer service expectation we have created and the family environment we have fostered in our more than 80 years of service.

While we understand that you may initially be disappointed, we also know that your local Publix and Curbside associates look forward to serving your needs and making shopping a pleasure for you inside the store.

If you should have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Store Manager.

Sincerely,
The Publix Curbside Team

Publix Curbside Service

Sometimes I really enjoy going to the grocery store, but other times it's just a pain in the butt! For some reason in the summer, when it's really hot out, I especially find it to be a chore. It's always hot and humid outside and freezing inside, and I always end up walking in with that "what the hell did I come in here for anyway" thought on my mind. 

So this weekend I decided to check out the somewhat new Publix Curbside service- offered at only three locations (two in Atlanta and one in Florida), one of which is at our fabulous new Publix at Town Brookhaven. Sunday morning I sat down at my computer, signed on to http://www.publix.com/curbside/ and went through my grocery list on the online store (see screen shot below).

After about 5-10 minutes of online shopping, I placed my order, and scheduled my pickup. While this service is pretty convenient, you do have to give them a 4 hour notice, so this isn't something you can just order at 5pm and pick up in 30 minutes. The latest time to place a curbside order (for same-day pickup) is 4:30pm and the latest you can pick up is 9pm. You may be able to call and place an order later, but it all depends on how busy they are. When I ordered at 10am, they ended up having my stuff all ready to go at noon.  And they did call to let me know an item was out-of-stock, and let me choose a replacement.

The BEST part about curbside service is not wasting time in the grocery store and buying extra stuff I don't really need (because I always go to the store hungry). I pulled up to one of the many available "curbside only" spaces (it was Sunday at noon and the parking lot was crazy), walked in the double doors (they can also deliver straight to your car if you have kids/pets), paid, and then they loaded up my car. The entire process took less than 5 minutes! The second best part of the service, is the current $17.99 discount they have at the moment. For the month of August, they are waiving the $7.99 curbside fee for all new service users PLUS you get an additional $10.00 off your grocery order when you tell them you were referred.

If you're considering using the service, I would definitely try it soon before the discounts are all gone!

LA Fitness: Special BH Review Discount!

It's open, finally!! And because we are so special, and because we think you guys are also pretty special, we have worked out a discount for our BH Review readers with the new LA Fitness at Town Brookhaven.

Here are our special discount rates:

• $0 initiation fee with a $39.99 monthly rate
• $99 initiation fee with a $29.99 monthly rate

Pretty nice! Of course there is always fine print- so here it is: When you sign up for a membership, you must pay your initiation fee (if any) along with a first and last month' payment up front. But besides that there is no contract! Now, to get this deal, here's what you need to do. Print this post out (or utilize your smart phone) and show/bring it to this location of LA Fitness and speak with Assistant General Manager Ameer Aziz. He is the only one that can give you this discount.

I got a really nice tour of the facility last night including their classroom space, cycling club, lap pool, weight area, cardio floor, racquet ball courts, volleyball/basketball court, 200 unit locker room (bring your own lock), etc.  There's a lot of working out to do there! If you're not quite ready to commit to membership yet, just pop on by and receive a free 3-day guest pass to use the facility. 

Beach season might be just about over, but football season is just about to begin so you better shape up!

La Fitness Open! (Well, maybe...)

I heard through Twitter this morning that La Fitness at Town Brookhaven was opening today (We had previously heard Monday...), so I jumped in the car and raced over there to find that it wasn't quite open... yet. The LA Fitness is located across from the Costco, and as I was walking up, all I could see were subcontractors walking in and out, and obvious last-minute construction going-on. I stopped by the sales office (located across from the Publix and next to Moes) and they told me that they are waiting on their "permits". I assume they mean their Certificate of Occupancy, but anyways, they said they are expecting it later today, or tomorrow (Saturday, August 6) at the latest.

Stop by today and enjoy the gorgeous (and gi-normous) new facility! Hopefully by the time you get over there they will be open officially to the public. Stay tuned for more information and photos!

Town Brookhaven Updates- Let's move this along....

Are you ready for Town Brookhaven to be completed? We are too. Lot's of new openings have definitely increased traffic, which is a good sign for the development but there is still a ton of construction and For Lease signs. Since we've moved to the area, this development has continued to pique our interest with the new shops, stores and restaurants coming to it. Now... I think were just ready for it to be completed. Well, news now is that Town Brookhaven is officially getting another apartment complex. At least that's the word from Bisnow Atlanta. It's a renter's market out there right now, and the planned condominium development on the last large parcel (top left in aerial) has been purchased by Fairfield Residential who plan to build a 280-unit class A apartment complex. No word on exact time-frame yet.

The Town Brookhaven development currently has two apartment complexes already on site, along with a Costco, Publix, La Fitness (under construction with a late-summer planned opening), movie theatre (under construction), and numerous shops and restaurants. Our official opinion would be that this new residential complex is good for the development. More everyday foot traffic always brings a more competitive retail and restaurant environment. But it also drives higher rent prices and keeps out more mom & pop stores and restaurants that could add some local flavor and character. What do you think?

We will keep you posted on more updates as they come along!

Georgia 13.1 Half Marathon and 5k

As I've said before, Cory and I had a lot of fun in the Publix Half-Marathon Race a few months ago. We've signed up for a few races since then including the Warrior Dash this past weekend, the Peachtree Road Race, and the Blue Ridge Mountain Triathlon. This seems to be the season for races, and if the weather stays nice and temperature stays in the 60s like it is today (ha, there's no way that's happening in August...), training will be a breeze.  Signing up for these races is a good way to keep us motivated to work out.  Also, it helps justify this, Friday nights here, and the occasional stop here.  Oh, and here and here and here and here (can you say, link overload?).  I guess we should start hitting up some healthier places...

Any way... the reason for the post.... there is another race that is coming to Brookhaven this fall called the 13.1 Marathon Series. This race is highly produced and loaded with entertainment and runner perks (Craft Tech tee & spinning finisher medal).  Also, what's better than it being right in your neighborhood, along your regular training routes?

The Georgia 13.1 Half Marathon and 5k will be held on Sunday, October 2nd and the course will go throughout the Brookhaven neighborhoods and start/finish at Town Brookhaven (course map coming soon!). If you are interested in registering, register here and enter promo code CMM131 to save $10 off registration (valid through 5/19).

Happy training! Thanks Stacy for keeping us in the loop with all these races and making us feel lazy, forcing us to sign up for more!

Publix- Town Brookhaven

Last Thursday, Publix opened their first hybrid grocery store in Georgia at Town Brookhaven. I must say- it's absolutely gorgeous inside! The interior is bright, cheery, and clean and it must be one of the largest Publix stores I've ever been in.  As a former Publix employee (my first job was a cashier in high school), I know how important quality and customer service is to them, and this store delivers!

This store offers the following services- some of which I've never seen in a Publix before:

• Bakery
• Deli
• Pharmacy
• Wine "Shop" (complete with a sommelier!)
• Floral
• Salad Bar & Hot Bar
• Sorbet and Gelatto Cafe (yum! See photo below)
• And of course your typical meats, produce, etc.

I had a great time wandering around this store and tasting all of the goodies. There must have been about 20 different stations with tastings and people walking around with tasting trays... so good!!

This Publix also offers curbside service- just place your order online and drop by to pick it up ($7.99 flat rate). Learn more about Curbside at publix.com/curbside. Cory and I will definitely be trying this out, as we will pass right by this store on our way home from work. What a nice service! Although stopping inside the store for ice cream wouldn't be so horrible either. 

Since April is their opening month, they had a few events going on:

• Tuesday, April 26: Mom's Morning Out at 8am
• Wednesday, April 27: Coffee & Dessert Night from 4pm-7pm
• Thursday, April 28: Taste of Publix from 4pm-7pm
• Friday, April 29: Pizza Night from 4pm-7pm
• Saturday, April 30: Publix GreenWise Market Sampling from 11am-7pm
• Sunday, May 1: GreenWise Sampling from 11am-7pm
• Saturday, May 7: Pancake Breakfast from 8am-11am
• Sunday, May 8: Publix Brand Sampling from 11am-7pm
• Wednesday, May 11: Gelatto Social from 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm

Wow! And they have even more events going on- so pick up a calendar as you check out. 

Check out the rest of the exciting stores and shops opening up soon in Town Brookhaven. And don't miss out on Marshalls Grand Opening this Thursday, April 28!

Town Brookhaven Updates

The Sembler development of Town Brookhaven has been gaining momentum in the past few weeks. Ever since Costco opened last year in the back of the large mixed-use development off of Peachtree Road (near Oglethorpe University), Town Brookhaven has been making way for a new Publix, LA Fitness, Movie Theater, and numerous other small retailers and restaurants.

Currently only stores open are:

• Costco
• Slacks (Philly cheese restaurant)
• Noche (Spanish tapas bar, review coming soon!)
• Moes
• Bugaloo (women's clothing, photo above) 

There seems to be good construction progress on Publix (see photo), Marshalls, CineBistro, and LA Fitness. We've heard that the Marshalls and LA Fitness will be opening in May, while the Publix has a planned opening April 21st (updated!). This Publix will be one of the first of the company's Greenwise types- a grocery store with a focus on organic/local foods and products, similar to a Whole Foods or Fresh Market. 

Other stores and restaurants that are coming soon are:

• CineBistro (Dinner & Movie Theater)
• Flying Biscuit
• Olive Bistro
• Nail Talk & Tan
• Honeybutter Boutique
• Collage (jewelry, clothing, & decor)
• The Cup (a gourmet cupcake cafe-photo below, this looks like its opening soon, they are hiring!)

We are excited about all the new places coming to Brookhaven! I hope they are all on schedule for opening- I know there is still a lot of property and empty tenant spaces here, so we will keep you posted as new things develop. If you know of anything coming to Town Brookhaven- let us know!

Noche - Town Brookhaven

Noche will opening up in the new Town Brookhaven development on March 16th!  The Noche restaurant in Brookhaven will be the third location for them in Atlanta (already in Vinings and Va. Highlands) and is a part of Here To Serve's restaurant line-up including Twist, Shout, and Strip among others.  Noche serves up some great tapas, tacos and signature drinks - you can see their food menu here.  We've been to the Va. Highland location a number of times and it has become one of our staple stops when we are in the area.  

This will surely provide some great traffic to the Town Brookhaven development - only Slacks, Costco & Moe's are open right now.  They will be open late night and offer great drink specials so make sure you follow them on twitter @NocheBrookhaven.  Were very excited about the new addition to Brookhaven who is screaming for new, updated restaurants.  Hope to see you in there on March 16th!

Moe's Grand Opening: Free Burritos!

Moe's at Town Brookhaven has been open for a little more than a month, and tomorrow, Tuesday January 25th they are celebrating their Grand Opening. And in true Moe's style, they are offering free burritos all day (Thanks Ryan for the info)! Also as a bonus if you can't make it tonight, they will be offering their burritos for only $3 the remainder of the week (Wednesday 1/26 - Friday 1/28).  So be sure to drop by for your complimentary (or discounted) meal, and a little "Welcome to Moe's!"

In other Town Brookhaven news, Noche seems to be coming along, with an advertised Spring 2011 opening date. Can't wait for some tapas and mojitos! Publix, Signlesatl.com, and Marshalls are also planning Spring 2011 openings. Further down the line are CineBistro (eat/watch), LA Fitness, Honey Butter Boutique, Flying Biscuit, The Cup (cupcake bistro- yum!), Cafe at Pharr, Yoreka, T-Mobile, Optic Lens Wear, and Nail Talk & Tan. If history is any indication, its most likely that these places will be opening later than scheduled, but we can hope it'll be sooner!

Well keep you posted on the progress. Stay tuned!

Moe's Now Open

Welcome to Moe's!  Moe's Southwest Grill is now open in Town Brookhaven.  Moe's is a popular burrito fast food restaurant that has rapidly expanded in America.  Moe's joins Slack's and Costco as one of the few things open in Town Brookhaven.  We still look forward to Noche, Publix, The Flying Biscuit Cafe, The Cafe at Pharr, Tin Drum and some other great things opening there in 2011.

Slack's

We wanted to go grab a beer on Friday night and decided to try the new cheesesteak place in Town Brookhaven called Slack's.  It is a native Philadelphia chain that has decided to come to Atlanta.  I had heard some good things from a co-worker and wanted to try it for myself.  It's located right across from the entrance of Costco, near the back of the development.

It was pretty packed and there was a wait when we got there.  The dining area on the inside is pretty small but it's complemented by a nice patio outside.  The weather was too cold to sit outside, so the inside filled up fast.  They have a nice bar, so we decided to grab a drink while we waited and then just decided to eat at the bar.  The TVs were plenty so we could catch any game we wanted.  It was a little dark to snap some pics so I took this off their website.

Beer prices were pretty average (~$5 for a pint of import or craft brews) and it looked like they had specials on some nights (don't really remember, will need to go back to confirm).  For the menu, they had a nice selection of hoagies, cheesesteaks, and deli sandwiches all priced around $6-$10.  I was a little upset with the upcharge on additions ($1 for cheez whiz?  We could have bought a case of cheese whiz from Costco for $1...), but overall the portions somewhat justified the higher prices for the sandwiches.  I went with the cheesesteak which was tasty (never been to philly to try one there so I guess I can't really compare) and we left satisfied.

Overall it was a nice establishment that I would go to again.  I might wait for some warmer weather so I can sit on the patio, though.

Costco- Opens October 28th!

The new 146,000 sq.ft. Costco at Town Brookhaven opens this Thursday, October 28th. Get a membership ($50-$100) by stopping in, or by signing up HERE. The store will open at 8am, so be sure to stop by for the great deals and free samples!!

The new membership warehouse is Costco’s largest and is the first of the three large commercial buildings to open in the mixed-use Town Brookhaven on Peachtree Road, the Sembler Co. development which includes residential apartment homes above ground-floor retail and restaurants. A Publix Supermarket and LA Fitness center are scheduled to open in Town Brookhaven early in 2011.

The Brookhaven location will feature a fresh bakery, meat, produce and deli, optical department with an independent doctor of optometry, 1-hour photo, pharmacy, tire center, hearing aid center and food court. The store will offer a wide selection of fine wines and beers, but will not sell liquor.

(Courtesy of Brookhaven Reporter: www.reporternewspapers.net)