We’re shifting into all-Rainbow, all-the-time mode. 24×7 coverage. BREAKING NEWS
Call it our Bargaining phase, if you will — but really, our five stages of grief are all about information. Something more like these seven: Rumor, False News, News, Swirl of Questions, Rumor, Rumor, News.
Our Rainbow Swirl of Questions
- Who owns Rainbow?
- What about the Rainbow vitamin place? Is it part of the same business? Is it closing too?
- Is it possible someone might swoop in, buy the business and keep Rainbow open?
- If an indie organic grocery can’t make it in the middle of one of the country’s crunchiest cities’ most affluent neighborhood, where can it make it?
- Who owns that building?
- Why wouldn’t your little brats eat more vegetables? Bad children. Bad.
- Which CSA is best?
- What should fill the space in the heart of 15th Ave?
We’ll try to answer these over the next week but not all at once because that will just be confusing. In the meantime, do you have any questions to add to the swirl?
–j/k
4. Indie Grocery: http://www.biritemarket.com/
5. Who owns the building: http://www5.metrokc.gov/reports/property_report.asp?PIN=3303700180
8. What should be there: hardware store! hardware store!
interesting related tidbit: the same person/corporation owns QFC land and Shoprite land. That’s a mighty big parcel!
Thanks for your sleuthing assistance, christina. Some more answers:
1) Fella by the name of Mark Smith. We’re hoping to get a chance to get a word or two from him.
2) Rainbow Natural Remedies is NOT going out of business. This from store owner Ross Kling himself. It’s separate from the grocery store.
3) Still a mystery
4) Rhetorical :)
5) Bldg is owned by a group called Stratton Interests Inc. Purchased for $215k in 1994 from an Arthur Swan
6) Still looking for answers
7) Another post perhaps :)
8) Definitely another post or three
Are they going to have a sale to get rid of the last items in stock?
my opinions on some select questions:
4. If an indie organic grocery can’t make it in the middle of one of the country’s crunchiest cities’ most affluent neighborhood, where can it make it?
on 16th and madison? (about where Madison Market is.)
8. What should fill the space in the heart of 15th Ave?
I’d be happy to see a clothing store pop up there. 15th ave has a lot of choices for groceries, bars, food, coffee, but nothing really stands out for garments.
This makes me really sad. I’ve lived on 16th for years and Rainbow has always felt like the heart of the neighborhood to me. I think that better management and getting rid of certain grumpy staff members could have made the store a success so hopefully someone compitent will buy it and make it profitable again.
If it’s not going to be a grocery store, I think it should be an organic cafe and juice bar with a good selection of prepackaged fresh foods for lunches. Basically take the Rainbow’s soup bar concept and expand on it so I can stop by in the morning for a juice and grab a premade salad or sandwich to take for lunch and then stop on my way home and have a cup of soup for dinner.
Otherwise, make it a plant and urban garden store.
can we have it as a real co-op? (co-oppier than madison market, i mean.) will you guys all go in with me?
Yes Yes. A real co-op would be the best thing ever. I’m certainly in.
Sigh. We should have started planning this two years ago!
Oh. One more question.
Did Whole Foods kill Rainbow?
CSA: Full Circle Farm delivers your (reusable waxed cardboard) box of food to Miller Community Center for you to take home.
“did Whole Foods kill Rainbow?”
I have no evidence either way, but I doubt it. If anything, I’d guess that the nicer QFC on Broadway (with a big organics section) and the Trader Joe’s on Madison might have drawn more people away from Rainbow.
“Did Whole Foods kill Rainbow?”
Let’s not scapegoat. Rainbow was killed by everyone in the neighborhood who chose to purchase their groceries eleswhere.
A few years ago their produce prices were quite reasonable. Then they rose and rose; I suspect they lost lots of customers when that happened.
I bet that the lack of parking combined with Trader Joes are what killed Rainbow.
My guess is that when Mark and his wife opened Rainbow cafe (where hillside quickies is now) they over extended themselves. That took a strain out on the main Rainbow (it was right about when their shelves were starting to go empty for weeks on end). By the time they had to close that shop to Focus on Rainbow I think it was to late.
Empty shelves is the death knell for any grocery, it makes people a bit panicky. I would really call this a case of bad business management. I dont think I would put blame on any of the other groceries that have popped up. Maybe you could point to everyone and their momma (QFC, Safeway, TJ’s) having an ‘Organic’ section now, for considerably cheaper (even if most of it is shipped in from Mexico)
Calling all Berkeley grads at Microsoft: the Rainbow space could be a Seattle branch of The Cheeseboard. Somebody buck up. I’m getting hungry.
From what I hear, Madison Market isn’t doing very well, either.
I love Rainbow Grocery and shopped there often when I lived on the Hill. RIP!
I will say though, as I get older, I start to get more price-conscious. Specialty groceries tend to be more expensive, even though they are a more convenient and pleasant place to shop.
I work on 15th and tried to support Rainbow, give them my hard earned $, etc. BUT the juice/soup staff was so cold and rude, I just couldn’t do it anymore. Plus their packaged “to go” food tasted horrible.
Just posted this short interview with a former Rainbow employee