There were similar delays re Sonoma WFoods, which opened last month, replacing a Ralph's - making it a lot closer than Petaluma for me ~= 40% of that RT, and I make this local run weekly, anyway. A net plus.. unless greed accelerates.

I wonder how much local autonomy this chain allows, how franchise-y? is the financing. Friend noticed immediately that the new store had no bulk foods section (!) - merely one of the earliest CoOp practices, and that which began the whole metamorphosis beyond packaged/frozen. Manager remains vague about 'when' (some of us believe: 'if'.. from the parsed responses.)

The situation has prompted thus, a guerrilla campaign - walking in, each time we ask naively, "where the bulk section is?" - and note the changing script in response. This is no trivial matter; Ex: raw-ish sugar at Petaluma store is/was ~ $.87/# Their packaged versions range from 2.xx up to near $3. Lot of delta for a ziplock baggie. You might want to make some $$ comparisons too, after the Opening specials fade. Will be curious to hear if bulk is offered from the first (?)

Gentrification here is most visible in the rapid targeting of the fortunes of the Big tax-cut folk - with parallel pattern of enhanced PR, portraying Wine-Disneyland as The mecca for weekend getaways in the Lexus. Accordingly, most Sonoma restaurants have imported the prices, but the quality/$ and selection remains better in SF. There's no longer a middle ground here, from which to select. We will be looking for signs of traffic-will-bear pricing at WFoods over the next months.

Clearly the national chains are gearing for the Two-Class Repo futchah, but not at all for mobs with torches - it seems. No surprise - the expected toxic fallout from all those events we know so well - has just begun.


Luck on your WF version,

Ashton

PS - concur on the general OKness of the '365' store brand - nuts are fresh; froz. organic fruits for smoothies: taste about same as my flash-frozen local berries and are even priced moderately.