Retail giant Wal-Mart is bringing its grocery-only concept to Denver, which will add a powerful player to a market dominated by King Soopers and Safeway.
Walmart Neighborhood Markets will open its first of potentially several Denver sites in the vacant King Soopers store at East Evans Avenue and South Monaco Parkway next year.
The dominant discounter also recently announced its intention to build on a site in Littleton at 3615 W. Bowles Ave., a former Albertsons space, which would be the first metro-area location.
The advantage of building Walmart Neighborhood Markets at less than 50,000 square feet, as opposed to a regular Walmart at 100,000 or a Walmart Supercenter at 150,000 to 200,000, is that the smaller store can squeeze into urban spaces.
“The company announced earlier this year a focus on going into more urban markets,” said Walmart’s Colorado spokesman, Josh Phair. “We have heard from many of our customers that they would like more access to the goods we sell at the price that we sell them. This is a great way for us to provide that access.”
Much like King Soopers or Safeway, the Walmart markets’ merchandise includes produce, meat and dairy, a deli, pharmacy, pet supplies and health and beauty aids. The first store opened in 1998, and there are now 185 locations.
Phair said the company will look at leasing other vacant Albertsons stores in the metro area along with a potential site downtown.
“We’re always looking for a way to provide our customers with access to our stores’ products at a good value,” Phair said.
Second shot.
Greenwood Village entrepreneur Heather Lutze, who made her debut appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” a couple of years ago, will return for a segment, this time on The Big O’s own OWN network.
This weekend, an OWN film crew has been filming background footage in and around the Findability Group, Lutze’s Internet marketing firm, for a follow-up story on the businesswoman who left Yahoo and started her own company on a shoestring in her basement 10 years ago.
Lutze’s company has grown to $2 million in annual revenues, and she’s become a sought-after speaker on business and social media. Next month, she jets to London to speak along with famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins.
This little piggy.
The original Marczyk Fine Foods, 770 E. 17th Ave., is inviting customers to “get piggy with it” during the 10th annual pig roast from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The neighborhood market, owned by Pete and Paul Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane, will also celebrate the grocer’s 10th anniversary with a 10 percent discount on products in the market and wine store. The discount is also good at the second Marczyk’s at 5100 E. Colfax Ave.
The pig roast includes Niman Ranch pork with side dishes for $14.99 per person; $8.99 for children 10 and younger.
Foodie fodder.
Zydeco’s, a white-tablecloth eatery serving Cajun and Creole cuisine, opened recently in the LoDo space formerly occupied by Trios Enoteca wine bar at 1730 Wyn koop St.
Put some South in your mouth for lunch and dinner with this bayou- inspired menu that includes halibut creole, blackened chicken, jambalaya and Chicken Pontalba.
• Sketch, which closed in Cherry Creek North and later reopened near First Avenue and Broadway as a wine bar version of the full-scale restaurant, is bringing back some old menu favorites during dinner on Tuesdays.
Chef Sean Yontz will vary the multi-course menu that will offer the option of adding a discounted wine pairing. Reservations: 303-484-9305.
• Boulder-based Rudi’s Organic Bakery was named by readers of Vegetarian Times magazine as this year’s 2011 Foodie Awards winner for best sourdough. Editors narrowed the field to 26 categories, and 170,000 readers voted on their faves.
EAVESDROPPING
An out-of-breath woman to her brunch companions at Dazzle:
“Sorry. I know I’m 20 minutes late, but I had to parallel park.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
