Who doesn't love Big Red???

Foodie Item: Big Red

Your Story: We'll be glad to have you close by ....

Even Chef's are excited about Hippo's

Foodie Item: Anything!
Your Story: I love your concept for a downtown grocery! I am a native San Antonian and tho I don't live downtown I would certainly go down for lunch or dinner if you have a fun and firendly atmostphere. I love places like Central Market in New Orleans where the food is great, everyone who visits N.O. has to go there at least once to eat and you can buy the stuff to make your own muffaletta if you want! I don't know what your concept is but I'm gonna keep my eye on you. I am changing careers and going to culinary school right now - I might just come ask you for a job. When will you begin hiring?

Sr. Sarducci Hippo

Foodie Item: Marinted Bocconcini
Your Story: ......and actually anything Italian, since there is no Italina deli in ALL of San Antonio, a deli that actually carries some of the lemoncello's, olives oils, olive mixes, fresh pasta's and desserts found in the great back east Italian delis would be and awesome addition to San Antonio---- for those of us who don't want to eat chips/salsa and tortillas everyday!

Hippo's Is All About Customer Service

Hey there Hipster's. Just want to let you guys know that Hippo's is all about a great shopping exeprience. All future Hippo's employees will go through a rigorous training program to ensure that you, our intrepid customer, have the absolute best experience once you walk across our threshold. For a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into the cutting edge training techniques that we run our staff through, just click HERE to see the video.

Hippo On!!!

Hippo's Wine Selection

Foodie Item: Wine and simple but useful foods
Your Story: Washington DC has these types of grocery stores all over. I lived in a condo complex which had its own grocery store, sure beat going to the grocery store or liquor store for beer or wine, or for an everyday grocery item.

Hippo's Wins in the End

Foodie Item: "General Tips"
Your Story: I am sure you are getting a lot of feedback and Tips on your Grocery Store:
It's great someone finally has the attitude and is willing to risk a type of business that is long overdue for the area!....which puts the larger grocery stores at a lower value in my opinion ..so sad they will regret past decisions of not listening or overriding customers needs or wants!..profit is an engineering force.. but also if you have 1 store that barely makes the cut out of 20 and you have happy customers and clientele...guess what?.........YOU WIN IN THE END!
Remember this..Southtown and the area where you will be located has a median Hispanic/Anglo ratio (besides the tourism and business clientele) Your specialty Items are great ..Just don't forget the little guy!.........Not everyone can afford Specialty items........Good luck!...and that's my 2cents worth!

Thank God for Hippo's

Foodie Item: n/a
Your Story: I actually just read the article about your store in the Express-News, and all I can say is 'Thank God'! I have been debating moving downtown for years, but one thing was keeping me from doing so; a grocery store. I'm glad to see that finally someone gets it! So, I guess when I do call downtown San Antonio home soon, I'll have the Hippo to thank! Gracias!!!

Hippo's Competition

Foodie Item: milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, ice cream
Your Story: Hello.
I own a small inn located in the King William District. We send lots of guests to the little market on Alamo St because it is the only place to go for snacks and wine. Unfortunately, the supply is very limited at that particular store and the cost is very high. Consequently, most of the locals do not shop there unless they are totally desperate and then there is much complaining to be heard about how a gallon of milk and a bag of ice used up most of a ten dollar bill. When we rented an apartment in Vancouver last summer we were enthralled by the ability to walk a few blocks to a grocery store that had what we wanted as well as what we didn't know we wanted at a price that was normal. NYC neighborhoods are full of small stores stocked floor to ceiling with both the usual and the unexpected. Despite the horror stories about how difficult it is for a grocery store to make money, somehow these stores not only survive, but appear to thrive. I am thrilled to read the paper today and learn about your new store and hope it will be a place where we can do the bulk of our small item shopping for the mundane as well as specialty items. It sounds like you have done and continue to do your research and I've included a couple links just as an FYI to the stores in the Yaletown district of Vancouver that we frequented. Thanks and good luck!

Hippo's in New York

Foodie Item: concept!
Your Story: After spending time in New York, I was suprised to learn there is only one super-mart on the island, but the plentiful and efficient small grocery/deli stores eliminate the need for a super-store!
I hope you can replicate the concept and sucess of those NY downtown stores/delis.
Good luck and thanks for adding to the charm of San Antonio!

Parking at Hippo's and another Trader Joe's Comparison

Foodie Item: foods/wines as carried by Trader Joe's in So. Cal.
Your Story: Trader Joe's is a small store but large western chain carrying healthy foods of its own brand that are packaged in small packs for singles/couples. The stores are always packed with customers because of the very high quality and low prices on all their items. The variety is great. All fruits/veggies are fresh and pre-packed. Meat, fish & cheese too.
We do not use the delivery market on S. Alamo St. because of poor selection & high prices. Follow TJ's lead and we will be faithful customers! Please keep parking charge very low with, say, a one hour limit to discourage those taking advantage of your location. 50 cents/hr. ? We live in Kg. Wm. area.

Hippo's Bread and Rice Crispy Treats

Foodie Item: Homemade rice crispy treats!
Your Story: I also dig the awesome biscotti that they make over at my friend Chris McDaniel's Broadway Daily Bread.
Good luck - looking forward to Hippo's!

Hippo's Delivery

Foodie Item: Breakfast Delivery?
Your Story: I've lived in the King William District for some time and was pleased to learn of a new grocery store opening in the downtown area. Are you going to incorporate a delivery system for those who don't have time to rush around? Please entertain the idea of a breakfast delivery system. I don't believe any place nearby delivers a hot breakfast to your doorstep.

The Great Tortilla Debate and it's effect on the San Francisco Economy

Foodie Item: San Francisco Sourdough and See's Candies
Your Story: It would be awesome to have some authentic San Francisco sourdough bread here. Also, See's Candies--they have some really good chocolates. And of course, anything NOT wrapped in a tortilla. Looking forward to you opening!

Are there Hippo's in Boulder, CO?

Foodie Item: mealtime
Your Story: when I was in Boulder Colorado, there was this great little classy grocery store that served hot food samples, cheeses and snacks the whole time you shopped. You could practically eat a meal there. I used to stop there everyday just to see what they were serving. I'm not a cheapskate just thought it was excellent idea to keep me coming back.

Drive Thru at Hippo's

Foodie Item: deli sandwich
Your Story: How about creating a drive through for deli sandwich and soup.This will help workers who have is 1 hr. or less to get their lunch and be back to work.

Trader Joe's Little Brother

Foodie Item: 2 buck Chuck wine
Your Story: sounds like ya'll will be like Trader Joe's--just what SAT downtown needs! have always loved the Riverwalk and area. will definately check you out when you open.
Good Luck!

Pecan yogurt

Foodie Story:
I have only seen it in Mexico. It is Nueces flavored yogurt and it is extremely common but I can't find it here.

So there HEB

Foodie Item: So there, HEBYour Story: Finally, my stone oak friends will stop asking me "so where do you grocery shop?" Thanks and I will be seeing you.--King William Resident

Shaw Wine at Hippos

Foodie Item: charles shaw wineYour Story: "Chuck" shaw wine as we affectionately called it was a couple of bucks a bottle for a really spiffy wine. We used to buy it by the case at our favorite grocer in SoCal (south Pasadena and Pasadena) Trader Joes. Trader Joes was always packed, despite a small or non-existent parking lot. But Joes always had the best value and coolest selection on gourmet foods for the urbanite. Always wanted to start a franchise in ol' SA. (but they are not a franchise) Guess I'll have to 'Get Hip'. I love the idea. If you need a Corporate banker to believe in the concept or consult, call me. 210-220-6875

Honky Man

Johnny wrote: Foodie Item: breakfast tacos
Your Story: I'm a honkie that loves mexican food, will you guys be serving tacos in the morning?? Nothing like a big fat chorizo and egg with tons of hot sauce.. Tell me you have a hippos hot sauce?

Belgium

Your Story: Dots Diner- Boulder Colorado......
There's nothing better than 1-inch thick Belgium Waffle made in butter and cooked in a deep cast-iron skillett-- covered up with a slightly runny sunny-side up egg and smothered in strawberries and syrup... mix all that up with a side of your best black java and your goin to the moon!!! An old buddy of mine and I discovered that about 25 years ago in the backwoods of Bolder Colorado at Dot's Diner-- I'll never forget it!!!

Moving downtown

i hope one day to move into the downtown area. having hippo's is a definite plus! by the way -- the name is a winner

Foodie Item: Milk (Basics)

Your Story: I was very happy to read about your new grocery store. I work downtown (112 E. Pecan) and almost once or twice a week my wife askes me to pick up some groceries (milk, meat, or vegetables) on my way home. I live just north of downtown at 826 Craig. So, to drive to the closest grocery store I have to fight traffic to the Olmos Drive HEB. I'm excited to have a store that I can walk to before I drive home. Good luck on the new store.Patrick

Even the local rag is Hip to Hippo's!

New grocery store/deli to call downtown home
Web Posted: 10/18/2006 07:38 PM CDT

Rachel Stone
Express-News Business Writer

Look out, downtown dwellers: Here comes Hippo's. The developer of La Cascada condominium towers is set to start construction next week on a 3,600-square-foot grocery store near Dwyer Avenue and Stumberg Street. San Antonio-based Loopy Ltd. plans to open the upstart grocery before Fiesta 2007, which starts April 20.

The urban grocery store and deli will take up the ground floor of La Cascada's second tower — a 10-story sister to the 12-story luxury condominium tower that opened two years ago. Fairfield Resorts Inc. will operate the second tower as time-share properties. Loopy Ltd. principal Mitch Meyer said he couldn't convince a grocer to take a risk on a downtown store, so he decided to create his own grocery company. He and his partners spent six months researching the grocery business and visiting hundreds of corporate stores and mom-and-pop markets all over North America. "Whole Foods in Austin kicked me out for taking pictures of the shelves," Meyer said.

Hippo's, which will be about the size of a large convenience store, will carry some "fancy" items, but "you can get your gallon of skim milk and a loaf of white bread, too," Meyer said. The store will carry a more extensive selection of wines than anywhere else downtown, he said. And you can drink it in the store. The deli will serve beer and wine, along with sandwiches and soups, and will feature TVs and free wireless Internet. "It's all part of the lifestyle," Meyer said.

About two years ago, Loopy Ltd. bought a Handy Andy Inc. on South Presa Street, which had been the downtown area's largest grocery store. Meyer intended to resell it to a grocer such as H-E-B or Whole Foods Market Inc., but couldn't find any takers and sold it a year later to Ace Mart restaurant supply. The grocery business is tough because stores must rely on high volume to make up for low profit margins, said Rick Johnson, president of the Texas Grocery & Convenience Association in Austin. "Most of your major grocery stores operate on a 1 to 1.5 percent net profit," he said.

The grocery business in urban markets is even more vicious — Urban Market in downtown Dallas recently got a $1.1 million subsidy from taxpayers and private donors to stay in the black, for example — but Meyer thinks Hippo's is different. He said it defies the two major problems that kill grocery stores: a lack of residential density and not enough parking. Hippo's will draw customers from residents of downtown, King William, Southtown and Lavaca, as well as tourists and downtown workers, he said. And Loopy owns a six-story parking garage adjacent to the site.

But the grocery store will already have competition in Delivery Market at 709 S. Alamo St., a 2,000-square-foot market and deli that opened two years ago. Owner Roland Polanco plans to open a second Delivery Market at 318 Houston St. in January. The new market will have 4,000 square feet plus a patio. "We have a lot of demand in that Houston Street area," Polanco said.

But Meyer, who has taken to closing phone conversations and e-mails with "Hippo On," isn't deterred, though he acknowledges that grocery retailing is a risky business: "So is developing high-rise condos on the River Walk, but I did it because passion can sometimes overcome the risk," he said. Once he gets Hippo's rolling, he wants to open 20 more in five years. The company is seeking the public's input on the market. People can tell Meyer what they'd like to see in Hippo's at hipposgroceryanddeli.com.

What the heck is Hippo's?

Well, this is my first real time post into any kind of blog what so ever. If I screw it up, forgive me. I want to use this blog becuase a community idea is always better than an individual one. We at Hippo's Grocery & Deli really want to hear from our customers. If you visit our website at hipposgroceryanddeli.com there is a form there where you can tell us what you want to see in your grocery store. For all you soon to be Hippo's fans out there, bookmark our site as we well will be adding eCommerce functionlity to it by April of 2007.

Come on down next time you are in San Antonio and see what Hippo's, the home of the $.50 sandwich is all about.

Get Hip, Be Hip. Stay Hip.