PCC in West Seattle

[tiser]

Do you miss our PCC as much as I do? The only good thing about the tear down was that it forced me to drive to the Columbia City store, which in my opinion is the best PCC ever. Interesting layout and great feel. Lots of window light. First rate butcher/seafood counter and truly awesome deli and hot food. Made to order burritos, tacos and smoothies. And many of the same friendly staff we used to see in WS. It’s everything I’d want our reborn PCC to be.

I recently make the trek down to Burien to see their new PCC. I wasn’t expecting a lot given it’s strip mall location, but came away truly depressed. It felt to me like the equivalent of one of those cookie-cutter multi-story box apartments that are popping up all over Alki and Admiral. And no butcher counter. Here’s the bad part: I’ve heard from multiple sources that this will be the template for our reborn store! Tell me it isn’t so! Has PCC lost its soul?

It may be too late, but if you care about this I’d urge you to visit both stores and let PCC know what you’d prefer: https://www.pccmarkets.com/contact-us/

Share This

[jissy]

tiser: I couldn’t agree more! LOVE the Columbia City store and made the trek frequently… moved south late last summer and was SO excited there was a going to be a new Burien store…..I do not like it. IMO Columbia City and Issaquah should be the template for all future stores. I think they really missed the mark on Burien and the comments on our local Next Door & FB sites tell the tale. Hopefully PCC is listening and the design for WS can be altered if they were going the direction of Burien.

Share This

[anonyme]

tiser, I share your concern. I agree that the Columbia City PCC is the absolute best. The layout, the hot bar, the employees – all wonderful (well, save one). The store also draws a diverse and creative clientele, which is interesting and refreshing.
Unfortunately, I’ve also heard that PCC is taking a more corporate direction. If it’s anything like what’s happened to Whole Foods, we’re in trouble. WF used to have something of a mission statement regarding organic, non-GMO foods, high quality, and great selection. No more, it seems. It would be a shame if PCC went the same way.

Share This

[Michael Waldo]

Well, I agree so far. Went to check it out in Burien. Felt like it was not completely done being built inside! Cold cement floors. Couldn’t find anyone on the floor to ask a question about picking up my special order. Just did not feel inviting at all. Too much of an industrial modern look.

Share This

[newnative]

I take the #50 straight from my neighborhood to Columbia City every other week to restock on a few things. It’s absolutely worth the scenic route. It seems to me that all of the stores are furnished according to the space they’re in. They are all very different from each other.

Share This

[elma]

I, too, agree with tiser. Made my first visit to the Burien store last week and was very disappointed. Quite unhappy that several items I find at Columbia City were not available. Not to mention the poor meat department. If the new WS PCC is like Burien’s, I will continue to travel to CC for our shopping!!

Share This

[Jeannie]

Hi, neighbors – This is from PCC’s Customer Service Manager, whom I emailed:

“The Burien location was our first roll-out of this design, and we’ll be making slight modifications along the way as we evaluate what works and what doesn’t. We appreciate your feedback, and if you have additional thoughts about the store that you’d like to share, we’ll take them into consideration as we review the design’s impact. You’ll see some of the same design features at the new West Seattle store, but with a different layout to fit the new space. Like Columbia City, there will be plenty of windows on the street-side.
We have received some mixed reviews for the Burien store, it is a big departure from the look of our older locations. The goal for this design was to create a clean and modern back-drop, where the food and our staff can really shine. I believe once the store team has made the space their own, the feel of the store will be much more familiar.
Regarding the comment about us taking a more corporate direction, this is something that has come up as the co-op has grown over the years. Please know that the co-op will always be community-owned, we’ll always be dedicated to our triple-bottom line. We aren’t driven by Wall Street or private investors, but by the values that got us here- including our high product standards, friendly and informed staff, and local roots. When you have a moment, please take a look at our recently published Co-op Purposes report. https://www.pccmarkets.com/co-op-purposes-report-2017/ It gives a good account of our values in action, my favorite part is the interactive map showing store donations to community organizations.”

Share This

[JoB]

i have to admit.. when i first read this i thought how bad could it be? Was this another case of it’s not like it used to be rearing it’s ugly head? So today i visited the Burien store. I won’t return.

it’s not just that it has a cold warehouse feeling.. and it’s certainly not that it is incomplete.

I walked in ready to do my regular PCC shopping and walked out with 5 items.. This store simply does not have the depth of selection that other stores have. Worse .. i had to search the entire store to find where the products i was looking for should have been.

No thanks. I don’t have a clue how they are going to compete with trader joes just across the parking lot.

When our local PCC closed and i was forced to seek out other PCC stores i got a glimpse of what a vibrant neighborhood market could be.. and this isn’t it.

epic fail. i hope they do a course correction before trying to pedal that store here in West Seattle…

and yes.. i did share this with the management

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by JoB.

Share This

[JanS]

reading the response that Jeannine posted from PCC….all the donations in the world will not make up for a crappy store, a crappy shopping experience. People simply won’t go. Stick with the Columbia Center model…not everything has to change to be “modern”. Just a thought.

Share This

[Michael Waldo]

It seems the store is all about take out now. Limited variety of items I used to buy. Luckily I was able to special order the items I used to just pick off the shelf. Not worth the drive from West Seattle for me.

Share This

[The Velvet Bulldog]

Mom Bulldog got us a family membership at the very first PCC in Ravenna — we’d trek out there from South Seattle every weekend for sugar-free foods that, as a kid, I was NOT a fan of. I remember the spicy/patchouli smells and everyone with long hair and long toes sticking out of their Birkenstocks. Bunch o’ hippies.

Now I laugh at myself, because when our WS PCC did it’s renovation I was seriously unimpressed and felt it was way too “slick” and “corporate” and wandered too far from our PCC cooperative roots. (We people with our changing opinions and outlooks are funny.) I didn’t know what to expect with the Burien store; I knew it would be smaller and probably rough around the edges from being new, but I don’t really like it.

It’s got a cold feel to it and I really dislike their lining-up system for the cash registers. However, it’s on the way home from work so I’ll stop when necessary.

I do love all the options of the Seward Park store, and it’s my hope that in WS we can find that middle ground of PCC’s original roots and spices, mixed with a dash of modern take-out and topped with that feeling of community and do-gooderiness that comes from shopping there.

Share This

[Jeannie]

Well put, JanS. The donations are great, but what does that have to do with the crappy Burien store?

Share This

[angelescrest]

We actually liked the new PCC in Burien. Tried it this evening, and it was so easy to navigate. Wider aisles! It was the first time I felt a friendly vibe from other shoppers: that’s what we noticed. The store had everything we needed–felt good!

Share This

[Sue]

I agree with you. I live close to the WS Bridge, so getting to Columbia City has not been a bit deal for me. Getting to Burien is probably equidistant time-wise, even though Burien is slightly further mileage-wise. I gave it a week or two after they opened to settle in and showed up to do my regular shopping. I do a majority of my shopping at PCC and spend $$$ there. And like you, I came out with very little. Either couldn’t find what I wanted, or they didn’t have what I was looking for (and what I get at Columbia City). I will be very disappointed if the new WS location ends up similar. I’ll probably give it another chance to see if they were just not done stocking things yet, but I have a feeling I’ll be just as disappointed. When I first saw Columbia City, I loved it and was so excited that the new WS location might be similar. But if Burien is what they’re moving to, meh.

Share This

[Author]

Posts