Fresh Market has been the latest venture to set its sights in my area. I wasn't able to attend the grand opening but when I finally strolled through a few days later, I couldn't believe the amount of people that were in the store and now a several weeks later the buzz has still not subsided. I know the rest of the country has been dealing with the bad economy, but where we live being in close proximity to Ft Benning Ga and the infusion of 40,000 personell due to the recent Brac alignment from Ft Campbell Ky along with KIAs first ever car manufacturing plant in the US just up the road, People around here just seem to go on with business as usual. Thats why Fresh market opening up has been a huge step in the right direction. When we first moved here the local supermarket was Piggly Wiggly. Now I am not going to talk bad about Piggly Wiggly but lets just say that Piggly Wiggly image doesn't help it to reach across a very broad spectrum of consumers. And this is the fascinating thing about my area. Because it has become regionalized with all different types of subcultures. You have your North side folk who are so proud of living on the North end of town and your Midtown Folk who are so umm "Posh" to say the least and your Downtown folk who are what we Jerseians refer to as "Booshie" and then there are the Piggly Wiggly Folk. Nonetheless, The introduction of freshmarket has had it's disappointments; for instance a few days ago I walked in there and asked the Seafood manager if he would be able to get fresh or frozen sardines. He looked at me like I was crazy and suggested that the very best sardines in a can was in the aisle. So ok strike one with the Sardines, I tried again by asking him if they would carry smelts (a small sardine type fish from the great lakes) He said He had a box of smelts in the back that he would give me for a great discount because he wasn't going to put them out. At this point I was a bit annoyed with the "Proud, Posh, Booshie, Yuppy" attitude of the Seafood Manager. I figured I dare not ask the Meat manager about beef tounge so that i can thinly slice and grill and serve with a spritz of lime. That experince made me take a step back. Freshmarket is trying to appeal to the masses of people who call themselves organic, leading healthy lives and that subculture of people who like to call themselves foodies. I on the other hand just like good food. Lately I have had a deep passion for cooking and using items from garden in every dish. It has been a wonderful experience of trial and error and Freshmarket even in all its yuppidom has been able to propel my experinces that much farther. I guess piggly wiggly is trying to change thier image also. I walked in there and asked the manager if they can sell me a whole pig. "Oh we don't do that." He said. Come on Piggly Wiggly if there is anything you should sell it should be the whole Damn pig, WTH!!!!
