There have been dozens of questions about the future of Capital City Grocery since their closing a little while back, and I’d like to thank Crash Gregg of the Raleigh Downtowner for his use of this story. Capital City will in fact be opening back up with quite a few changes and I encourage all those interested to pick up the newest copy of Raleigh Downtowner this weekend to read the full story as well as lots of other great stories about Downtown events!
Many of our readers (and Raleighing.com bloggers) have been curious about what’s been happening to Capital City Grocery in the downtown Raleigh Seaboard Station shopping center. One of the downtown area’s only independently-owned grocery stores, Capital City Grocery opened last year and then closed this spring when the business went heavily into debt.
Despite a shaky start and temporary closing for renovations and reorganization, the future now looks bright, with a grand reopening scheduled sometime in June.
Originally charged with finding new investors, Ed Weems and son Mason of Venture Management, Inc., ended up becoming part owners along with other investors. They plan on a grand reopening sometime in June.
The original owners and management will no longer be involved with the new store.
To revise the store philosophy, Weems is working with the Newton family—who owned and ran several downtown stores for 70 years—to devise a sort of mission statement for the grocery store, which begins with a promise of superior service to its customers. They also plan to pay homage to the
Newtons by decorating the store walls with photographs of the Newton family, their stores, and customers. In 1937, Ela Newton began selling snacks in downtown Raleigh in the same neighborhood as Capital City Grocery. While the offerings were limited she provided the residents of then-dirt Halifax Street with what they wanted. As her customer needs changed her selections expanded and her husband John William, a retired farmer, began helping her serve them. Over the years the store expanded into four Halifax street locations. Soon sons, grandsons and granddaughters were all working there while attending high school and college.
For 63 years Newton’s provided basic grocery items, custom-cut meats and fresh vegetables. Grocery deliveries were made first on bicycles then scooters and finally in pick up trucks. Starting with rotisserie chicken, the Newton
family responded to customer wants by serving meals in the store and providing take home food. Customers from all walks of life were each given the same friendly courteous service and became regulars for years. This tradition continued until the last location at Peace and Halifax streets was sold to Peace College in recent years.
At Capital City Grocery, they are returning to that original focus on the customers in the downtown Raleigh market area. Plans include expanding produce offerings with an emphasis on locally grown and especially organic vegetables. Like Newton’s, they will offer custom cut high-end meats and very fresh seafood as well as items already prepared for those in a hurry.
The new Capital City Grocery is reaching out to the community and once again asking the local residents of downtown Raleigh what they want their store to offer, look like, act like, and feel like. They are committed to returning to the Newton family grocery store philosophy of good old-fashioned customer service.
The Capital City grocery section is being redesigned to carry dry goods, bulk foods, the spices and flavorings even the best cooks strive for, and a “It Begins With Caring” healthy foods section for pets. To the wine offerings they’re adding fresh flowers and gift baskets. Once again many products are local and organic just like the customers asked for in the past.
The “Capital City Kitchen”, like Newton’s, is offering sit down fare as well as full course meals to take home and enjoy with little effort. They’re also adding a new important convenience that is fully in tune with the downtown Raleigh
market. Full catering for private parties and business events is being offered under the leadership of a highly experienced trained Chef.Capital City Grocery is also offering the same 70-year old Newton tradition of call-in ordering. But rather than speaking slowly as a Newton family member wrote each item down, shoppers will be able to place orders over the internet or by faxing them in. Repeat customers will be also able to pull up their record of regular purchases on their website and indicate how many of each they want to reorder.
Seventy years ago the residents of Raleigh were downtown. Today they’re returning again. Just like Newton’s, the new Capital City Grocery promises a commitment to meeting their neighbors’ needs.
article © 2007 Downtown Raleigh Publishing LLC
reprinted with permission
The store should be modeled after the Stew Leonards stores that are in Connecticut and Yonkers. For anyone that has been there, you know that they are always busy and very successful. Fresh baked goods, dairy, meat, deli, fruits and vegetables are key. Also, the hot prepared foods section is a great draw.
Glad to hear it, thanks for passing along the info. I like that they are tying it in with Newton’s its years of service to the community. The foresight of internet ordering is a nice high tech touch, too. I’m looking forward to life #2 of CCG.
I was skeptical of Capital City Grocery version 1, and I’m skeptical of version 2, but I look forward to giving it another try. Hopefully the store can achieve it’s potential.
Let’s hope it works out. Version 1 didn’t succeed not because there’s not enough shoppers downtown, but because it didn’t carry what those shoppers needed. I found myself almost always having to go to another store afterwards to finish up the items on my list, simply because they didn’t have them.
As long as the new owners realize this and make the new version have a better selection, then I think they should succeed.
You are right on the money, RaleighRob. That was my issue with Version1 as well. I always had to run to Harris Teeter afterwards to finish my shopping. CCG only worked if I needed a very few things.
I wonder how this can be fixed with Version2, however. I actually thought that Version 1 gave it a good shot, but it just wasn’t big enough, physically. I assume that Version 2 will be the same physical size, so that may be a problem. When I read the plans for fresh produce, spices, meats, and seafood, I picture something along the lines of the Fresh Market, not a Harris Teeter. If so, maybe that will work.
Regardless, I’m looking forward to trying it out.
also the fact that it is tucked away and not visible from any street really doesn’t help. i only went to it once, months after it was open bc i heard about it thru word of mouth. and i didnt even go inside bc it was closed. they desperately need a sign on peace st, like a big one.
I was so disappointed to know they had closed. I went a couple times a week to pick up items simply because it was so convenient to get to and they had all the common grocery staples without the hassel of the large scale grocery stores. The very fact you can get out of your car and have a short walk to the front door is great. Icertainly will give them all the business I can whenever they reopen to Raleigh.
I look forward to this reincarnation of the Newton’s concept and the great location…seems like the location should be in the name. Seaboard Grocery or something. Would be a lot more clear than “Capital City” which could be any where in the city. Can’t wait to try out the rethought store.
V2 sounds more like what I was expecting with the first version. They’ll only survive by going higher-end. The store is so small though, that I doubt it will ever be the only store you need.
Thanks for highlighting the new reopening and we hope they do well.
The Raleigh Chronicle has an online version of this story with pictures of the new owners if you’d like to look:
http://www.raleighchronicle.com/2007052208.html
While we were there talking with the new owners about the renovations, several people drove up wanting to know if the store was open or not, so it seems that people are still wanting to shop there.
I think the longer hours, addition of a coffee shop area, upscale upfit, and serving wine/beer by the drink will definitely help keep customers coming back.
The store is slated to open later this month and with the new hardware store and other retail shops, we look forward to more places opening in Seaboard.
This would have been an ideal location for a Trader Joe’s. Frankly, I think they made a huge mistake by not taking that space instead of the Cary location. It is going to be very difficult for a grocery store to succeed in that small space without it being a *destination* – i.e., offering what cannot be found elsewhere.
Yes, Trader Joe’s made a huge mistake by not going in that space. If I were the new funders, I’d have found a way to sell to TJ’s, recover the old debt, and stand back and watch the crowds roll in.
Frankly, what that site needs is a known name like Trader Joe’s. If I, as a downtown resident, will seek out a strip-mall location deep in Cary just to get to a TJ’s, then that hidden-away CCG location can do great with a big name.
- L
I am one of the new owners of Capital City Grocery and am currently charged with finalizing the upfit of the space. I wanted to give everyone an idea of where we are and when we will be open.
Per usual the construction phase is taking longer than we expected but we are committed to getting everything in place before we re-open. It is our expectation that this will take another three weeks and we will do our best to hit this target.
As far as the store goes I could not be more excited, our goal is to make this a community store and are working towards designing our store around the feedback we have received from the community. To that end we have increased the produce section, changed the wine section, added self serve meat cases, updated the coffee bar, added a sushi chef, salad bar, and hot bar and are working with as many local suppliers as we can to get fresh local products in the store.
We are a locally owned and operated store that wants to utilize the tremendous resources we have in our community from farmers to suppliers and everyone in between.
If anyone is interested in seeing the progress we have made or has questions or suggestions please feel free to stop by the store for a tour.
Mason
Everyone in my neighborhood (Mordecai) is very anxiously awaiting the re-opening and will definitely return to shop regularly as we did before despite some disappointments.
The wait is discouraging though as we keep hearing about the opening dates and keep watching them go by.
I moved here from DC and had a TJ’s just a few blocks away – Man I’d “kill” for that again!
Would love to have seen a Trader Joes move in to the space. With Fresh Market a couple of minutes down the road it would have been a nice balance. Interesting how none of the owners have any experience in the grocery business? Bet they sell it once they get it open.