Brandon Lewis
BU News Service
As Saturday afternoon turned into evening, many were enjoying dinner outside on the restaurant-saturated Tremont Street. All types of cuisine popped up: from Ethiopian to Greek to French-Italian. One can easily become distracted by the flavorful smells of the area and not notice Five Seventy Market, the only grocery store on the bustling strip. It has a limited selection of staples with only two or three aisles.
The loaves of bread in the far corner of the store weren’t the most affordable, ranging from $3.89 to $5.89 per loaf.
Eileen, a young resident reading a book in nearby Blackstone Square, wasn’t a fan of Five Seventy and said she prefers the bigger chains, even if they are a bit further away.
Eileen shops at three spots: Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Foodie’s. Trader Joe’s on Bolyston Street in Back Bay is not a quick walk for any South End resident especially with grocery bags in hand. Whole Foods just opened on Harrison Avenue in January and is the largest Whole Foods of the six locations in Boston. Foodie’s, which opened in 1998, was the main option for South Enders before Whole Foods came into the neighborhood.
While Whole Foods is a little more expensive, Eileen believes it has the freshest products. The 50,000 square foot supermarket has many options including a hot food section which is on par with some restaurants and seating areas both inside and out. Foodie’s is much smaller but has a solid selection of organic eats. Unfortunately for Foodie’s, Whole Foods is roughly a 10 minute walk down Harrison Avenue so the competitor is right around the corner.
