Metropolitan Market

Some might think there is a disconnect in the strategy Metropolitan Market presents: an Old World style marketplace with upmarket products and presentation with stellar service. In short, what owner Terry Halverson brings to the Northwest is a shopping experience that is as juxtaposition-oriented as the area itself.

Dungeness crab at Admiral Way Store

Halverson's career started in Seattle at a store atop Queen Anne hill. He cleaned the bakery, moved through the store ranks as courtesy clerk, checker and store manager and eventually became the owner. He expanded by purchasing a former Lucky store and converting it to a Thriftway on Admiral Way in West Seattle. He then added a store in the South Sound. Into the new millennium, Halverson procured stores at Dash Point, Sand Point and the former Larry's store on Mercer Street in uptown Seattle.

Poising for expansion and redevelopment, Halverson shifted the banner of his grocery stores to Metropolitan Market, following extensive remolding of the West Seattle store. Industry experts agree it is the most beautiful remodel of a parking lot--the check stands and floral display that greet customers were carved out of an existing parking lot.

Operationally the name change from the various Thriftway banners did not fit into the group's marketability, says Ilga Westberg, marketing director for Metropolitan Market. "We couldn't tell customers about all the products we have," she says. Under the Thriftway name, the weekly flier had to follow guidelines as did signs on the stores. These restrictions did not allow Halverson's stores to show off the product assortment available.

Spiritually, the name change punctuates the mission of the group to have fun with food and bring great food to the city. "The food culture connects us all, all of the time," explains Ilga Westberg. "Food should be fun, not intimidating."

This mission adds layers of operational effort into Metropolitan Market's day-to-day activities. The staff has to know about each item in order to answer customer questions. The in-store kiosks serve as a central command point for customers to be introduced to new items, new preparation techniques, new flavors and area chefs. The expansive house wares area brings useful tools to customers.

"We always strive to make our stores better," says Westberg. "We listen to customers to find out what they want. Offering local products, educating our customers and helping customers understand where their food comes from are definite areas of interest. That is why the kiosk program is so important."

Culinary Artist Sutrida Shelton at Admiral Way store kiosk

Listening to customers brings different products into different stores, she explains. "If one neighborhood wants a product, Almond Roca in the Tacoma store for example, then we bring it in just for them. Being a locally-owned and operated company, we support not only local producers, but local neighborhoods. Our employees live in the communities they work in; there is a real community heart at Metropolitan Market."

Metropolitan Market, as an independent operator in a largely chain-driven city, has the nimble ability to source out items from around the world, bringing them to customers in the Northwest. "We find more offerings every week," says Westberg. "We are always looking for the next best thing."

When store merchandisers get a hold of these "next best things" they spin creative events around them to showcase availability and draw customers into the experience. Using the in-store demonstration kiosk, customers can see how an item is prepared, used in a dish and sample the flavor. On a regular basis, Metropolitan Market brings artisan producers into stores to talk to customers about how they make or grow their product. The group's Peach-O-Rama is in its 12^th year. Starting in early May, peach blooms are brought into the stores to spur excitement for the flavors to follow. Produce buyers then seek out the best peaches grown in Washington for the August event which includes varietal tastings, information about the farms that produce the bounty and spotlights on peach-inspired products.

Another of these special events is the September 2007 Discover American Artisan Cheese. This event is being held simultaneously in all six stores; locally-produced cheeses will take center stage. In October 2007, the focus is on Spain. Producers of breads, wine, cheese, spreads and specialty nuts will come to Seattle to sample their wares. At the kiosks, Mexican white prawns will be center plate. Chocolate, for eating and baking, will be explored.

With the acquisition of the Mercer Street location, Metropolitan Market finds itself with two stores within less than a mile of each other. Despite local rumors and early news reports that Cincinnati-based Kroger's QFC would be moving into a re-developed area where the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market now stands, Westberg claims that there are "no plans for change" and that the store will "continue to operate on top of Queen Anne hill."

This comes as comfort to area residents who have come to rely on the store to provide specialty and gourmet items, locally grown produce and artisan-produced cheeses. The national grocery industry has oftentimes used this particular unit as a prime example of an urban neighborhood store calling it a "jewel box." "When they wanted to add new items, they just found nooks and crannies to tuck them in," observes one grocery executive from the southeast. "Shelves got slightly higher, more new items came in. It's not sleek; it's an experience, a treasure hunt, to shop there."

According to Westberg, the shift from the Larry's store to the Metropolitan Market was a "smooth move with customers and staff." Thousands of new products were introduced to the shelves. This market will also have the magic wand waved over it as it is reformatted to include the signature food-tasting kiosk, new counters in the seafood department and resetting of the kitchen wares and gifts/card areas. Less obvious is a remodel of the underground garage, adding lighting so that customers feel more comfortable using this area rather than parking on the street or on the rooftop lot, both with time restrictions.

Seattle-area businesses have historically been community-oriented. Metropolitan Market is no different, supporting a host of hunger-related community events including the October drives of the Queen Anne Help Line and West Seattle Help Line in collecting food. They also support the Mayor's Day of Concern, held in late September.

Future expansion plans for Metropolitan Market are not set in stone. "We will always continue to grow as long as we can continue to meet quality and service standards," says Westberg.

Mina Williams/September 2007

Mina Williams is a freelance writer and the publisher of Northwest Stir, an online magazine for the Northwest dining industry.