by Jahna Berry – Feb. 23, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
A posh specialty-food store inspired by California’s wine country plans to open a second Arizona location.
Oakville Grocery Co. will open a shop in downtown Phoenix’s CityScape project, company officials announced Monday. It will replace another proposed CityScape store, AJ’s Fine Foods.
AJ’s parent company, Chandler-based Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc., sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year.
Oakville is slated to open this September in a 9,300-square-foot space near Jefferson Street and Central Avenue. In December, the company opened a shop at 15015 N. Scottsdale Road in the Scottsdale Quarter, an outdoor shopping center.
CityScape is a $900 million cluster of shops, offices and restaurants bordered by First Avenue, Second Street, Washington Street and Jefferson Street.
Oakville is selective about where it opens stores, said the firm’s regional general manager, Barbara Henderson, and it wanted to be in downtown Phoenix.
“It’s dynamic,” Henderson said. “This has similar demographics as the Bay Area,” adding that the people appreciate good wine and good food.
Henderson said both Phoenix and the Bay Area are “foodie towns.”
While some businesses in the CityScape project will open this year, other parts of the three-block development will be finished later, according to its Scottsdale developer, RED Development LLC. Construction crews are building a 250-room hotel, which will be run by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and that is scheduled to open next year.
Bringing more grocery stores downtown has been a high priority because they help make the area a 24/7 experience, said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.
“Today’s grocery store is not just food on shelves,” said Gordon, who has made downtown development a centerpiece of his tenure as mayor. “They bring people together.”
Oakville Grocery Co. is a spinoff of the storied California shop that dates back to the 1800s.
Oakville Grocery is owned by a partnership headed by Michael Webb and that holds rights to use the Oakville name in five states. Webb was affiliated with the original store in Oakville, Calif.
His firm, Woodside Capital Partners, backed unsuccessful plans to expand the popular wine-country location into a 25-unit chain of gourmet markets and restaurants.
The concept hit financial trouble, and its three stores were purchased in 2007 by Dean & DeLuca principal Leslie Rudd.
The Arizona stores are not affiliated with the original stores in California.
