Safeway Readies D.C. Store for August Opening
Safeway is now putting the finishing touches on its new Capitol Hill store, at 415 14th Street SE in Washington, D.C., which is slated to hold its grand opening on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 6 a.m. Developed by Safeway and Potomac, Maryland-based Foulger-Pratt, the 60,236 square-foot store -- the first to open in the area since the Petworth location opened in 2014 -- will anchor a mixed-use project called Beckert’s Park, which includes further retail space and 325 residential units.
The Capitol Hill location’s grand opening will kick-off of a month of celebrations as renovations are unveiled in August at four other area Safeway stores, two more in the District of Columbia, one in Silver Spring, Maryland, and one in Arlington, Virginia.
“We are delighted to grand open our beautiful new Capitol Hill grocery store, on the same site where our previous store stood until two years ago,” noted Tom Lofland, president of Safeway’s Lanham, Maryland-based eastern division. “This conveniently located neighborhood store will offer many unique features and products. Customers will be sure to enjoy the beautiful, modern design and the wide selection of products, including organic, natural and healthy goods across all departments. We know the Capitol Hill Safeway will be a wonderful addition to the community.”
Store Director Matthew Frye, who until recently ran Safeway’s Southwest Waterfront location in the District of Columbia, will supervise a team of 350 associates.
The store’s deli will include such new features as poutine, a barbecue sandwich bar, a sushi bar, poké bowls, a specialty cheese shop, charcuterie, and a bigger selection of grab-and-go packaged meals. There will also be an on-site catering department with a range of trays for parties, dinner and dessert. Café seating will be available adjacent to the deli, next to the Starbucks coffee bar, and sidewalk seating will be set up outside.
As well as permitting customers to place advance orders for dry-aged choice beef ribeye or New York strip steaks, the meat department will offer a wide selection of organic, grass-fed, natural, and choice-grade beef items. The poultry case will feature a large selection of organic, natural, and antibiotic-free chicken, while the full-service meat case will offer custom-cutting services provided by Safeway’s butchers.
Much More in Store
The seafood department will include a raw oyster bar with a selection of nine local oysters providing a variety of flavors and salinity levels. The 36-foot seafood service case will offer natural, fresh, smoked and local items.
The produce department will showcase a wide assortment of organic produce, in addition to an expanded selection of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Premium juice and beverage options will include kombucha and fresh-squeezed juices. Safeway will feature ethnic produce from around the world, along with local salads and produce.
Among the bakery department’s unique features will be a Nuts on Clark popcorn shop carrying the well-known Chicago retailer’s favorite flavors, plus a new Old Bay recipe. A broad offering of baked-in-store breakfast and dessert items will include handmade filled croissants and fresh fruit Danishes, store-made artisan breads, monkey bread, and pudding ring cups, in addition to hand-dipped and -decorated caramel apples. Premium gelato will be available in 24 flavors in cups, cones or as a cookie sandwich. The bakery will also provide mochi desserts featuring four cookie dough flavors.
The floral department will offer a wide array of fresh-cut flowers and fresh roses, DIY cut bunches, and mixed bouquets, along with assorted seasonal blooming plants, foliage, and orchids. Additionally, Safeway’s in-house floral designers can create custom arrangements, and the department will provide both FTD and local delivery.
According to Safeway, the supermarket will be the only one in the District of Columbia to offer one-stop shopping for wine, beer and spirits. As well as offering the company’s largest wine and beer selection in the region, the store’s alcohol department will include a separate spirits room with an assortment of liquors and a glass-enclosed walk-in wine cellar.
The new pharmacy will offer prescription delivery service and operate seven days a week. A range of immunizations will be offered, as well as flu shots and clinics. Along with HIV care and prevention, specialty pharmacy services will focus on disease state coaching and counseling.
Safeway’s Capitol Hill store will feature more than 3,700 new items on top of the everyday selection. Further, the store will offer hundreds of new specialty items across grocery, dairy, and frozen foods, with an emphasis on natural, organic, specialty, healthy, and ethnic products. The store will also offer a wider variety of natural, organic, and specialty home health and beauty items, and more space for seasonal merchandise.
Other store offerings include D.C. Lottery tickets; money orders; Western Union services; a key maker; Coinstar and Redbox machines; delivery and Drive-up-and-Go services, as well as Instacart RUSH delivery service; and below-grade parking, with racks provided for bicycles. For pedestrian convenience, the location is close to the Potomac Avenue SE Metro Station and several Metrobus lines.
The Capitol Hill Safeway will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while beer, wine and spirits will be sold from 7 am to midnight.
As part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Safeway will present donations to three local organizations: The Hill Center, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and the D.C. Ward 6 Mutual Aid Network.
Pleasanton, California-based Safeway and its eastern division are part of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos., one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States and No. 8 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The eastern division operates stores in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Delaware.
