foodperson.com

The Casbah Market got some local ink, and now here’s my promised two cents, based on a single, brief visit and discussions with a couple of friends.

The good news

— The owners have done a good job transforming the Casbah space (even though it meant the end of an architectural aspect of some personal interest to me that I won’t go into here). It’s comfortable with wood floors (in the front anyway) and limestone walls.
— It has a good but modest selection of organic groceries.
— It will be a boon to downtown residents who can walk to the store to get provisions. It will also be handy for people who work downtown and want to grab something simple to eat rather than going to a restaurant when they don’t brown-bag it.
— The staff is enthusiastic and friendly.

The bad news

— One acquaintance referred to the Casbah as sort of a “mini Merc,” and that’s about right. For the most part, it’s got the same products, same brands, just fewer of them and a smaller selection.

— They didn’t overcome the building’s two-level problem. Guess they somehow got that grandfathered in, but it means that shoppers confront two steps down if they want to access the Nice Cafe in the rear (or two steps up to the groceries if they enter via the back door), a problem for people in wheelchairs and pushing strollers. Maybe they’ve got a portable ramp available somewhere, but it’s a bit of a disappointment.

— There’s no clear “competitive advantage” to this shop. I’m not sure why someone would shop here if they didn’t live in the neighborhood. If someone has to get in the car and drive to buy groceries, it seems likely that natural-food lovers would go for the Merc’s larger selection and ease of access.

Don’t get me wrong; I hope it’s a huge success, and it’s been open so briefly I’m sure there will be adjustments to the product mix based on customer demand. I worry, though, that the neighborhood doesn’t have enough shoppers to keep the Casbah Market in business.

I need to get in there and try some of their carryout dishes, and I need to actually shop there for a significant amount of groceries to see whether I’ll be using it as a real grocery, or as a natural foods convenience store.