A new kind of grocery store is about to open in Sandy Springs. CHEF'STORE, a wholesale grocery designed for restaurant owners, will open its first ever Atlanta area store at 6337 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. The new store will open in place of the short-lived Lidl in the City Center Crossing shopping center.
ToNeTo Atlantaexclusively reported on the planned store March 19, 2024.
The new grocer, slated to open on Saturday, February 8, joins fellow anchor Planet Fitness, which opened in the center in December 2022. A release announcing the opening invites customers to "Enjoy Complementary Food Sampling, Product Giveaways, Raffles and more!" on opening day.
CHEF'STORE is owned by powerful food distributor, US Foods. Based in Rosemont, Illinois, US Foods (NYSE: USFD), operates a vast restaurant supply network but has quietly been growing its retail grocery business. The company launched CHEF'STORE in Charlotte in 2012 and today operates 95 stores from coast to coast with three more, including Sandy Springs, "coming soon," according to the grocer's website.
"Convenience, low prices, and easy shopping make CHEF’STORE the go-to food and kitchen supply store and warehouse for restaurants across the country. Our wholesale warehouse-format stores cater to the foodservice industry, but are also convenient one-stop-shops for home cooks as well." The company says on its website.
"Customers choose CHEF’STORE to not only take advantage of a huge selection of competitively priced restaurant food supplies, as well as chef restaurant supplies and products, but because the service is second to none. We stand out from the competition thanks to our dedicated and helpful employees who prioritize customer service above all else." Publix level service with Kroger level prices - sounds good to us!
The fact that CHEF'STORE will offer restaurants and the public at large a warehouse club-like experience without a membership should resonate with locals. CHEF'STORE is not alone in looking to capture restaurant owner business, but their model is unique. The store requires no membership or cost to enter, but its bulk purchasing quantities and packaging are designed primarily to serve restaurant owners.
Restaurant Depot, based in Whitestone New York, does not charge a membership fee, but customers must apply for membership and prove they are business owners. The company currently operates five Atlanta area locations including those on Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard in Atlanta, Roswell Road in Marietta, Crescent Drive in Norcross, and stores in Morrow and Buford.
Costco, too, operates a single "Business Center" in the market but it's in Morrow, in a converted former traditional Costco warehouse club, where paid membership is required. The store is oriented towards restaurant and business owners but is open to all Costco members.
The CHEF'STORE website suggests that the new Sandy Springs store will be a "prime pick for shoppers in Dunwoody and Brookhaven" but its location - far from any comparable stores - could also appeal to those in Buckhead, East Cobb, and Roswell, too, among other surrounding communities.
Were you surprised to see Lidl close its Sandy Springs store? If you live in the area, where do you do the majority of your grocery shopping? Have you ever been to a CHEF'STORE?
Please share your thoughts below.
