New Leaf! Who went today? What did you think?
It was so nice to see New Leaf finally open today. I am so happy that I don't have to drive over the hill now to go shopping for products that I can't normally find here. I asked them about their coffee. They have organic coffee and espresso! Another good place to go for your fix.
What are your thoughts about the opening?
Ok, I was there at 8am! I didn't have a chance to look at every aisle but it really reminded me of an even nicer whole foods. Everyone is very friendly, the aisles are wide, the selection is great. And I got my bag.
I'm going back another day to really look by myself (Kate was with me today). I heard it was crowded later and that parking was difficult. I was thinking today I really might not have to go over the hill as often which I didn't expect!
Re: New Leaf!
Okay, I'll confess - my husband and I wanted to treat it like a rock concert and sleep out front the night before to be first in. Ha! Right. But we did go for the opening - what a to-do! The high school band, ribbon cutting, dignitary speeches. Pretty funny actually. And my toddler daughter got to be the first child customer, 3rd in general. Ya, we need to get out more. (Later someone said she gets the honor of being the customer to make the first mess needing clean up by dripping her milk on the floor - great.) But it's lovely, seemed to have a ton of stuff, the coffee from the cafe is yummy, they have organic wines (didn't note the beer), fakin' bacon for sandwiches at the deli, and everyone seems very nice. Even pulled up the GreenMomsCoastside.com website on my iPhone to check a resource brand to see if New Leaf carried it (didn't get to finish - family needed to get going). Saw several GreenMoms there. As Amy F. said, I won't need to go over the hill hardly at all now. Uh oh, now what excuse will I use when I need sun ??? Check out the new temp picture on the website homepage.
Re: New Leaf! Who went today? Prices
I think their prices are lower on a few things compared to Whole Foods. I noticed the heirloom tomatoes were 4.99 lb and at WF they are 6.99 lb!
That's enough difference for me to buy one tomato instead of none!
But, boy! Those lines were really long today when I went later. The lines went down isles. I think they may have had some cashier computer problems because the lines were just not moving.
LOVED IT! I actually loved it so much I went twice yesterday and the lines were even longer in the afternoon. Coming from the NW, where there are amazing natural foods store around every corner, I've been going crazy living on the coast and having to plan my day around shopping. My only wish, is that they would have put more space between the check out stands and the isles.... yesterday was extrememly crowded, but I think even on a normal day 4 people in line will clog the front of the store.
My family and I went, fairly early, at around 9AM (to linger shopping a bit before storytime at InkSpell). Yes, we were writhing w/glee: now we won't have to drive north to Rainbow or south to Staff of Life to purchase our food staples. And we can make a quick store-run for last-minute needs.
Mostly a wonderful grocery store. Nice staff.
BUT: I was aghast upon entering at a huge display of cherries marked "Conventional" in front of the door (this with the backdrop of New Leaf's definition of "organic" writ large upon the wall). Having shopped at New Leaf(s) in Santa Cruz, I associate NL with quality organic food. As they claim, "let us read the labels, so you don't have to" (or some such), one hopes they are indeed reading! Now, as perhaps you all know by now, CHERRIES are one of those "dirty dozen" fruits+veggies which conventionally use heaps of chemicals that remain inherently residual -- not to mention effects on groundwater, workers, etc.
After recovering from cherry shock (and complaining to a produce clerk), I made an effort to loosen up and enjoy the market makeover: yes, such a difference from Albertson's!
OK, just a few gripes: no Strauss milk in glass bottles, no Acme bread, mediocre espresso, bad Spanish Rose', and heaps of overly-packaged, overly-processed foods + paraphernalia.
Will we continue to shop there? Of course. Having NL in HMB is a GREAT improvement. And they seem open to input from their customers.
Re: New Leaf! Who wants Straus products?
I am also bummed they do not carry Straus products, but I put in a customer request for it.
If any of you out there want Straus products, will you do that too?
I think the more requests they see for it in close to the opening of their store, the more likely they will be to carry it. 
I really liked it, the cashiers will get faster, BTW, having been one myself in my college days I remember the painful beginnings. All of the checkout stands said "cashier in training, please be patient." I was happy about my free bag. Is it more "green" than TJs? Just curious as, for me, it's actually farther as I live in Pacifica but am happy to swing by after Gymtowne and/or music class in Moss Beach w/ Miss Kitty. :)
TJs also emphasizes organics, but packages most produce, where NL lets us all decide whether or no to bag produce (and if so, to bring our own sacks).
Some of TJ's in-house products, such as toilet paper, can't be beat for price + quality (recycled paper, chlorine-free).
I do wonder about TJ's predatory merchandising, though. For instance, TJs briefly carried Strauss yogurt for a fraction of its cost elsewhere, and then replaced it with their own version of "european-style" yogurt (not quite as tasty, nor likely to be as "green" as Strauss, which converts cow poop to electricity etc.)
Query: what can we do to help NL become even more green?
Their dumpsters in Santa Cruz are often full of beautiful organic produce -- last year we scored a case of organic mushrooms they dumped, and a case of organic grapes. Customers aren't supposed to realize that retail groceries waste products exorbitantly (in the name of quality, and profit). Often, when the waste becomes too obvious for consumer comfort, they'll simply lock their dumpsters, a la Safeway (and TJs). In Santa Cruz, a "Food not Bombs" group arranges to take away some of the surplus to distribute at food banks & shelters. How will our community handle it?
Re: New Leaf! Who went today? What did you think?
It was the BOMB!!! I loved it and will do all of my shopping there...maybe except the Planet Organics deliveries. It is just what we needed!!
Re: New Leaf! Re: dumpster produce
Rene,
I will try to talk to New Leaf about this to see if they would donate to our local soup kitchen. I have to talk to them about some other advertising stuff anyway. Thanks for bringing this up.
-Melinda
New Leaf: Good news! I went in today prepared to fill out a "please carry Straus Dairy products" suggestion, decided to get my things first and notice they DO have Straus now!! I don't know about anything but milk...they even have the HUGE size bottles (I don't recall seeing those at Whole Foods). So they get a brownie point either because they were going to have it all along and it was just late getting stocked or because they responded so quickly to the requests.
On another note, it was interesting to read Rene's first impression of getting hit with seeing conventional produce because I had just the opposite first impression..coming in from the wine section I was surprised to see a sea of "organic" labels and I didn't notice any conventional stuff (of course, I didn't look at all the items." Just a weird factoid to share.
Re: Straus Products
Yay! Straus is there!
In addition to Janice's note, a friend called me today from the store to let me know that Straus milk is now available at New Leaf. No butter or cream yet though that she could see. She looked for it as we talked.
If you use the butter, put in a request. I will too.
Thanks!
Straus
I went to NL today and they carry all the Straus products available...I think. They have butter, yogurt, cream, milk.....am I misssing anything. They have it covered. Yay!
This is the best sustainable choice: Fairly local (Marin), organic, recycleable containers, methane digester to use the poop to run the diary for energy! We are lucky to have this option near us.
Re: New Leaf! Just noticed New Leaf now carries Klean Kanteens in 3 (?) sizes. No sippy tops though.
Re: New Leaf has agreed to an interview and wants suggestions
Hi Moms,
New Leaf has agreed to an interview with our moms and is open to suggestions. Post your questions and suggestions here. I will send them on to New Leaf and we will do a Q & A blog for them as soon as we are done!
Re: New Leaf Interview: Okay, here are a few questions I can think of:
1. What standard/definition of "organic" or "green" do they use?
2. What makes them decide to carry a "conventional" product vs. just not carry it?
3. From where do they get their fresh meat/fish? What guidelines do they use here for selection?
4. What's the best way to be successful in getting them to carry a product or product line they don't currently carry?
As a mother of a toddler, I find that the suggestion box of any store has become immeasurably further from my reach than ever before in my life. I would like to ask NL whether they feel that their clerks are empowered & encouraged to convey customer suggestions to management.
Today, in their bulk section, I used one of their plastic bags to get some flour. A flimsy bag intended for produce, it broke, spilling flour on the floor. A friendly clerk helped me re-bag & clean the mess. Sure I usually bring my own bags, but that's beside the point. If I'd have been able to access the suggestion box, I would have alerted NL that those bags are scarcely usable for the purpose of bulk grains (much less REusable). Instead I told the clerk. But how inclined would any clerk be to convey such info? Sufficient managerial openness and even eagerness would be needed to collect such data from the folks on the floor.
Re: New Leaf! Bulk Bags
Good point about those bags. I usually buy more cloth bags if I run out or forget mine (because I never seem to have enough anyway). I was going to suggest they sell cloth bulk bags near the bulk isle for those of us inclined to use them.
