Austin's Community Grocery since 1976. We're a funky grocery store in one of the coolest towns in the country, Austin TX. We have all kinds of great food with a focus on local and organic!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Better times to shop, Expansion-asana, and food news!
Hello friends,
Scroll down for:
Expansion update!
Better times to shop during this project phase.
Wheatsville Expansion Project opening ceremony this Tuesday!
Food news!
Board meeting in new temporary meeting space.
Expansion Update!
Our demolition has gone pretty smoothly so far with a seriously huge piece of equipment doing a lot of the work up to this point. They are currently excavating the dirt behind the retaining wall in order to expose it for demolition. It's pretty fun to watch! Early next week should see the demolition of the brick building that we affectionately refer to as the Red Door building as well as the beginning of work on the former InStep space.
Having a huge piece of power equipment in our parking lot has made parking a little trickier than we're used to and we've had some traffic jams at certain times of the day. We appreciate your patience in this process. I do have some suggestions, though for better times to shop.
If you can adjust your shopping, you might find that the auto parking is easier during the the following times:
Early mornings from open until about 11 or 11:30am.
Mid-afternoon from 2:30-4
Evenings after 8pm.
After 5pm and on weekends, there is potentially parking to the north side of Wheatsville that you could also try.
All staff are parking off premises or finding alternative transport to get to work to free up as much space as possible for you to shop, but it will still be a squeeze during the busiest times. Once again, I thank you for your patience during our project.
Maybe you would like to join your co-op board at a small ceremony to celebrate the beginning of our long-awaited project? We'll be having a short informal ceremony in the parking lot at 5:30 on Tuesday April 29th. We'll have light refreshments and probably a minimum of speechifyin'. (You might consider parking off premise if possible ; )
Check out our expansion updates with pictures on-line at http://www.wheatsville.coop/expansion.html
Food news!
This is your last weekend to come in for April Co-op Advantage Specials. (We'll have more different specials in May, though!)
In the deli!
The Wheatsville Deli's been celebrating the warm weather with some tasty treats: barbecued all-natural chicken pieces, grilled garlic-butter ahi tuna steaks and curry lime chicken salad! Our bakers have been cooking
up a storm as well: creamy slices of kiwi fruit-topped vegan cheesecake have been appearing in the self-serve case. And another hot weather cooler, cucumber-dill cream cheese, has made its seasonal return to the
cheese case. Try some on a bagel, or spread on a celery stick!
up a storm as well: creamy slices of kiwi fruit-topped vegan cheesecake have been appearing in the self-serve case. And another hot weather cooler, cucumber-dill cream cheese, has made its seasonal return to the
cheese case. Try some on a bagel, or spread on a celery stick!
Here's the latest from Mike Crissey, our Perishables Buyer:
COLD CASES
I am continuing to cull slower movers out of the dairy cooler and freezer as renovation continues. We don't have a clear picture of what may happen in the store yet. Products and departments may be moved to other places and we may have to consolidate all of the refrigerated product in a cooler or two when we get new equipment. I've been working with Dan and Niki to fine-tune our product mix so we can be prepared if we find ourselves short on cooler space. This doesn't mean these products won't come back after renovation is complete.
Here's the latest list of items I'm working to discontinue. This week it's frozen:
Amy's Frozen Meals: Although most of these meals are popular (they helped me get started on a vegetarian and organic diet), we have a few items that just aren't as popular.
Amy's Cheese Lasagna, Amy's Tofu Scramble, Amy's Tofu Ranchero, Amy's Country Meal, Amy's Thai Stir-fry Bowl and Amy's Santa Fe Enchilada Bowls will be on sale for $3.99 ($.50 off) down from their regular prices of $4.49. Also, the Amy's Shepherd's Pie which is on sale for $1.99 this month.
Meanwhile, we're discontinuing one of the Amy's pockets -- the Tofu Scramble, which are also on sale for $1.89.
Hytop Vegetables: These are by far the least expensive frozen vegetables in the co-op but it seems like we support Woodstock Farms and Cascadian Farms although they're more expensive. We sell three times as much Cascadian Farms and about twice as many Woodstock Farms frozen vegetables as Hytop in an average month. Until we sell out, Hytop vegetables will be 60 to 80 cents off (reg. $1.59 to $1.79, now $.99).
Food-For-Life Raisin Pecan Bread: This product is among our slowest moving frozen breads.We sold about two cases of it last month compared to five or six cases for the other Food-For-Life breads and 15 to 20 cases for Ezekiel breads. The FFL Raisin Pecan bread will be on sale for $4.29 (70 cents off) until we run out.
French Meadow Sunflower-Flax bread: This is another of our slower moving frozen breads. We sold about two cases last month. It will be on sale for $3.99, down from its regular price of $3.99.
Your board at work
Our next board meeting is this coming Tuesday APRIL 29TH, following the ceremony at 6pm in our new temporary meeting space at 406 West 30th. It's on the northeast corner of 30th & Fruth (two short blocks east of Guadalupe), directly across the street from Trudy's and just down the street from Spiderhouse. The meeting is from 6-9 and you are invited to attend.
THE NOMCOM WANTS YOU!!
Have you or someone you know wondered what more you could do for our cooperative? Then the Nominations Committee of the Wheatsville Board of Directors wants to talk to you. We have four general seats open in the upcoming September election. If you have a gold card (investment ownership) you are eligible to run for the board. Typically, directors spend an an average of one to three hours per week between board meetings and committees they may serve on. If you'd like more information, please contact the Nominations Committee atnominations@wheatsville.coop or contact board member Bob Kinney (bkinney@wheatsville.coop) or Mike Crissey (mcrissey@wheatsville.coop).
Sports news!
COOPERATION BEATS THE CHRONICLE
I had a lead-off triple and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Bookpeople beat The Chronicle 13-9 Monday night. The Filthy Animals jumped out to an early 4-0 lead but The Chronicle tied it at 5 all in the fifth inning and jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the sixth. Bookpeople whittled away the lead, tying the game at 9 in the top of the ninth innning. I hit a line drive down the third base line for a triple and was driven in with a single to right field to put Bookpeople ahead for good in the extra frame. The next three Filthy Animals all scored, driven in by an in-the-park homer by Bookpeople's second baseman.
LET'S PLAY BALL
I have temporarily joined Bookpeople as they play other independent Austin businesses in softball, but I'd really like to get a Wheatsville team together. In past years, we found enough employees to make a squad, but this year we haven't been so lucky. Anyone who'd like to play softball -- even if you've never played -- should send me an e-mail at mcrissey@wheatsville.coop. We typically practice Wednesdays or Thursdays and Sundays. We have to have the most healthy and fit folks in town. Let's play ball.
I hope that you have a great week!
Dan
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Breaking news! Project starting and Earth Day Wine Tasting Tuesday!
Hi Wheatsville friends!
Two quick things!
One, we now officially have huge equipment in our parking lot and we will see them begin to use it on Tuesday!!! Wow! This equipment does take up some of our parking, so be prepared during busy times to find some traffic issues. If you drive through the regular entrance and don't see a spot, you can head toward the back parking lot and you may find some there. Walkers, Bikers and bussers shouldn't have any issues at this stage.
Earth Day Wine Tasting
Tuesday is Earth Day and we had a short notice opportunity to do a wine tasting at the co-op in honor of it. We'll be featuring the wines of Parducci, America's Greenest WInery! They are the first carbon neutral winery. They buy grapes from family farms. They use solar power. They farm some of their land organically and bio-dynamically, too. On Tuesday, we'll have tastings of the Parducci Pinot Noir, the Parducci Pinot Grigio, and the Parducci Petit Sirah.
Save the date!
The board and I will be having an informal commencement ceremony for the project at 5:30pm next Tuesday April 29th. You are welcome to attend. We'll have our April board meeting from 6-9pm afterward at our temporarily rented house on 30th and Fruth. Agenda and directions will be posted on the web-site soon!
Have a great week! (I think that I will have one extra e-mail to you on Friday this week and then we'll resume with our regular weekly e-mail after that!)
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Whoah! Construction stuff! Earthday and more!
Hi friends,
Expansion-asana, week 1!
Well, it's really happening. The contractors have brought out their construction fencing and set it up in back along with a construction office and a storage crate. Beginning on Monday, automobile parking along the east fence of Wheatsville will be unavailable as construction fence goes up and work begins on our retaining wall. Demolition and excavation will come first followed by construction of the new wall and repaving. This part could take several weeks, so be prepared for that. We'll still have all of our main parking out front. Staff are parking cars away from the store in order to keep as many spaces open for customers and owners. If you can't find parking in the mail lot, you may find some more parking behind Wheatsville near the InStep building, in particular after 5pm and on weekends. People who bus, bike or walk to Wheatsville should have no impediments during this time.
We have consolidated a lot of our backstock storage in preparing for the renovation, so it's possible that we might have some out of stock issues as we move through the project. We'll endeavor to keep it to a minimum, but for the most part, we'll be ordering for the shelf and not having any in back for a while. We appreciate in advance your understanding of the potential challenges we might face during renovation.
We had a great All-Staff Meeting last week to talk about the project and let people know what they could expect. We were also able to take a big staff photo. We look pretty good considering that it was taken at 7:30 AM! http://wheatsville.coop/images/08Staff.jpg
The Austin Chronicle Annual Restaurant Poll is happening NOW! Please consider helping Wheatsville bring home the gold on a category or two over there.
We would most especially love to win the Best Grocery Store category and we wouldn't mind snagging any of the following: Best Takeout, Best vegetarian, Best patio, or maybe Popcorn Tofu for Best Vegetarian Dish? You can vote here" http://tinyurl.com/3rjdhh or http://www.austinchronicle.com/feedback/restpoll/08/ Thanks for the assist!
Environmental Film Series sponsored (in part) by Wheatsville!
The Citizens League For Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) & Texas Clean Water Action presents a film screening of
Kilowatt Ours
Thursday , April 17th, 6-8 pm at Ruta Maya Coffee House, 3601 S. Congress.
Kilowatt Ours reveals the consequences of our coal powered economy.The film opens with Vice President Dick Cheney's energy policy speech in which Cheney makes the claim that America needs nearly 1900 new power plants in the next 20 years to meet projected electricity demands. From here, filmmaker Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he discovers solutions to America's energy related problems.
Following the film, a panel of special guests with answer questions from the audience related to the film. For more information about the film visit http://www.kilowattours.org/ Donations will be accepted at the door
Austin's eARThDay event is April 19th!
Wheatsville is a major sponsor of Austin Green Art's Earth Day event in Republic Square Park.
Austin Green Art, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to raising awareness of sustainability issues through art, announces its 3rd annual eARTh Day event. AGA will produce this free, community-wide event and the Austin Farmer's Market will host it. This all-day event includes the Earth Day Expo, local vendors will sell green products and educate people about environmental efforts; Green Art, outdoor exhibits of conscious art installations; Green Art Kids, all-day entertainment and activities throughout the day to engage children of all ages; Green Scene Scavenger Hunt and the Solar Jam, a solar-powered musical event. The talented musical line-up includes Belaharr, Djembabes, SaxManRand, and Big Chief Kevin & the Flaming Mardi Gras Indians.
WHEN: Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, go to www.austingreenart.org.
WHERE: Republic Square Park (Fourth and Guadalupe Street)
Some Co-op Youtube vegetable cooking videos!
Sometimes the best way to go green is to eat your greens!
This first Youtube video from me isn't going to win any awards, but it does show a good trick for perfectly preparing Asparagus!
Asparagus Cookin'
And, our friends at Outpost Natural Foods Co-op in Milwaukee made up a good video on how to cook kale
News from the deii
Our famous Vegetarian Frito pie is even more famous as it is featured on the Dish List….this is a list created by Austin foodies…..
…..dishola.com is a website devoted to sharing the love of food, dish by dish…..we have pocket brochures at the deli of the new dish list '08….there are limited supplies so If you miss out, check out their site at dishola.com!!!!!
We also have a great article in Eat & Drink Austin, featuring a great article on the deli's sandwiches….check it out, there are some very enticing pictures of some of out specialty sandwiches….
Refrigerated and Frozen news!
Now the latest from Mike Crissey, Perishables Buyer for the co-op:
COLD CASES
I am continuing to cull slower movers out of the dairy cooler and freezer as renovation continues. We don't have a clear picture of what may happen in the store yet. Products and departments may be moved to other places and we may have to consolidate all of the refrigerated product in a cooler or two when we get new equipment. I've been working with Dan and Niki to fine-tune our product mix so we can be prepared if we find ourselves short on cooler space. This doesn't mean these products won't come back after renovation is complete.
Here's the latest list of items I'm working to discontinue:
Alta Dena Butter: We have carried this butter for awhile, but I feel like it is extraneous when we have just found a less expensive and cooperatively-brand of conventional butter -- Tillamook ($3.99) Alta Dena Butter will be on sale for $1 off ($3.99) until it's gone. Unfortunately, the case size on this product doesn't make it easy to special order.
Chino Valley Omega-3 eggs: These are another item we've had in the cooler for a long time. But they're one of the most expensive and slowest-moving egg brands we carry. The Organic Valley Omega-3 eggs ($4.49) I feel are equal nutritionally (Chino Valley has 225gm of Omega-3's while Organic Valley has 270 mg) and they are both cage-free and organic. The Chino Valley Omega-3 eggs will be on sale for $3.99 until we sell out. If you would still like to buy these eggs, I could special order a case of six dozen for you for about $25.
Earth Balance Buttery Sticks: These have been the slowest sellers of our vegetarian margarines. The tubs of Earth Balance ($3.59) sell three times as fast and the tubs of organic Earth Balance ($3.79) sell twice as fast. The Buttery Sticks cost about the same as a tub, but they'll be on sale for $2.99 (60 cents off) until they're gone. The case size of the buttery sticks (18) makes it a poor special order.
Yves Veggie Wieners: We started selling the Yves Veggie Wieners last summer but they failed to gain ground on the Lightlife vegetarian dogs or the Tofurky veggie dogs we also sell. Yves Veggie Wieners will be on sale for $2.99 (50 cents off) until they're gone. This item will still be available for special orders. A case of 12 will cost about $40.
Zensoy Banana Soy Pudding: This flavor of the 4-packs of soy pudding have consistently been the slowest moving in the line and also for the entire dairy cooler. We sell three times as much of the vanilla soy pudding and five times as much of the chocolate. This item is now gone. Unfortunately, ordering a case of banana pudding four-packs is a little unwieldy; they come in cases of 18.
I hope that you all have a great week!
Dan
Wheatsville Food Co-op GM and e-mail guy
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
April is chock full of excitement!
Hi friends.
Lots to report on this week:
Project news!
Wheatsville wins stuff!
Maybe Wheatsville can win other stuff?
Live Lightly Tour this THURSDAY!
Environmental FIlm Series, Kilowatt ours!
Earth Day!
New Products and Specials!
Board meeting date change
Expansion-asana
We are about to embark on our big and long awaited expansion project! Woo hoo! We're going to be taking a yogi-like approach to the expansion, remembering to breathe, staying flexible, etc. Details of how this will affect you are still being worked out, but in the earliest stages beginning next week , you may notice less parking along the fence. If you can't find spots, you should be able to find some in the back. Staff are going to be parking elsewhere, to help free up as many spots as we can for you. The main store won't be affected for a while, as we work on the retaining wall and the new office space in the former InStep building. You can stay apprised of changes affecting the store through these e-mails, on our web-site http://wheatsville.coop/expansion.html and through in store signage.
Wheatsville Wins!
most of you already know the great reasons for shopping at Wheatsville, but there are a surprising number of folks who don't. That's why it's really gratifying to be placing so well in the new Statesman/ Austin 360 A-list poll project. We have won 2 polls over the past couple of months including
Favorite Neighborhood Grocery
Best Low-fat/ health-conscious option
Check out the write-ups to learn more and you may want to vote in some of the weekly polls yourself!
The Austin Chronicle Annual Restaurant Poll is happening NOW! Please consider helping Wheatsville bring home the gold on a category or two over there.
We would most especially love to win the Best Grocery Store category and we wouldn't mind snagging any of the following: Best Takeout, Best vegetarian, Best patio, or maybe Popcorn Tofu for Best Vegetarian Dish? You can vote here" http://tinyurl.com/3rjdhh Thanks for the assist!
Live Lightly Tour coming our way THURSDAY!!!
The Live Lightly Tour Arrives in Austin, TX
Matt, Sara, and their 4-year old, Bella are traveling around the U.S. educating others about living simply/sustainably, eating raw foods, and using veggie oil as fuel. Come check out their "green RV" which features bamboo flooring, low-VOC paint, sunflower seed counter tops, solar power & more! They pull a veggie oil powered VW Passat behind them as well!
Visit www.livelightlytour.com for more information.
Matt, Sara, and their 4-year old, Bella are traveling around the U.S. educating others about living simply/sustainably, eating raw foods, and using veggie oil as fuel. Come check out their "green RV" which features bamboo flooring, low-VOC paint, sunflower seed counter tops, solar power & more! They pull a veggie oil powered VW Passat behind them as well!
Visit www.livelightlytour.com for more information.
Environmental Film Series sponsored (in part) by Wheatsville!
The Citizens League For Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) & Texas Clean Water Action presents a film screening of
Kilowatt Ours
Thursday , April 17th, 6-8 pm at Ruta Maya Coffee House, 3601 S. Congress.
Kilowatt Ours reveals the consequences of our coal powered economy.The film opens with Vice President Dick Cheney's energy policy speech in which Cheney makes the claim that America needs nearly 1900 new power plants in the next 20 years to meet projected electricity demands. From here, filmmaker Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he discovers solutions to America's energy related problems.
Following the film, a panel of special guests with answer questions from the audience related to the film. For more information about the film visit http://www.kilowattours.org/ Donations will be accepted at the door
Austin's EarthDay event is April 19th!
Wheatsville is a major sponsor of Austin Green Art's Earth Day event in Republic Square Park.
Austin Green Art, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to raising awareness of sustainability issues through art, announces its 3rd annual eARTh Day event. AGA will produce this free, community-wide event and the Austin Farmer's Market will host it. This all-day event includes the Earth Day Expo, local vendors will sell green products and educate people about environmental efforts; Green Art, outdoor exhibits of conscious art installations; Green Art Kids, all-day entertainment and activities throughout the day to engage children of all ages; Green Scene Scavenger Hunt and the Solar Jam, a solar-powered musical event. The talented musical line-up includes Belaharr, Djembabes, SaxManRand, and Big Chief Kevin & the Flaming Mardi Gras Indians.
WHEN: Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, go to www.austingreenart.org.
WHERE: Republic Square Park (Fourth and Guadalupe Street)
New in Grocery!
Due to high demand, we would like to announce the availability of the world's first and only certified organic, 100% raw Cacao Butter (also known as Raw Cocoa Butter).
What is Raw Cacao Butter? (taken from www.rawfood.com)
From the cacao farms, to the packaging facility, to the workers and to you, we have done everything possible to ensure that super-high quality and integrity comes through in our finished food products. All sales of Sunfood Nutrition™ cacao products support indigenous farmers inEcuador Ecuador Ecuador
What is Raw Cacao Butter? (taken from www.rawfood.com)
From the cacao farms, to the packaging facility, to the workers and to you, we have done everything possible to ensure that super-high quality and integrity comes through in our finished food products. All sales of Sunfood Nutrition™ cacao products support indigenous farmers in
Fresh in the deli!
Here's the latest news from the Mike Crissey in the Perishables Department:
FRESH NEW FLAVOR
Just in time for this month's sale on Cascade Fresh (65 cents, reg. 89 cents), I've decided to bring in a new flavor -- Green Apple Pie. The new flavor will replace Apricot Mango, which seemed to be the least popular flavor. Remember, not only is Cascade Fresh our least expensive yogurt, but it is cultured in each cup, has no preservatives, no artifical hormones, flavors or additives.
PAPER NOT PLASTIC
I recieved a question from an owner wondering what exactly the paperboard containers that are used for soymilk and cow's milk. Horizon Organics, Silk (White Wave) and Organic Valley have thin coatings of low-density polyethylene (also known as LDPE) on the inside and outside of the paperboard. LDPE has no known health hazards, according to the National Geographic Society's Green Guide. The containers can also be recycled through a process known as hydrapulping, which separates the polyethylene from the paper and rinses the paper fiber to be made into products such as paper towel and tissue.
Next Board Meeting
Tuesday April 29th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Location to be announced (Check the website for agenda and location)
I hope that you all have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
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