‘Disco Kroger’ reopens Sunday in Buckhead

Temperature-controlled wines for $1,184.99, exotic fruits like “Buddha’s hand citron,” a dry-aged beef cooler and foodie-quality olive oil for $15.69 are the new staples at the Kroger in Buckhead, known affectionately as the “disco Kroger.”

And though the disco ball still hangs in a place of distinction — at the front entrance — it ain’t the same old disco Kroger.

Enlarge this image

Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com

Chef Howard Warren was busy Friday preparing for the grand opening of the ‘disco Kroger’ in Buckhead. Its new name will be Fresh Fare.

Enlarge this image

Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com

The disco ball still hangs in a place of distinction, at the front entrance.

• More photos of the new disco Kroger

Back in the day, what did you most often buy from the "disco Kroger" after a late night in Buckhead?
Anything greasy
Visine
Gum
Aspirin
Who can remember?!
Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

FIVE CHANGES
TO THE DISCO KROGER
• More wine, like a $1,184.99 magnum of Chateau D'Yquem, 1995 vintage Sauternes. Kept at the requisite 58 degrees.
• Thirty-two feet of cooler space dedicated to yogurts and juices (each) and a 28-foot cooler for waters and energy drinks (bye bye colas!).
• Bumble and Bumble brand shampoos and conditioners, starting at $15.19.
• Two cashiers near the hot bar, called The Bistro, for the lunch rush.
• Indoor and outdoor tables for eating the "Fresh Fare."

BUSINESS
Latest Headlines:

• Georgia banks on brink of collapse? Not quite 
• Atlantans' business geared toward curvy jeans fits 
• Federal stimulus money for energy projects flows into Georgia 
• Georgian bank names Poelker as new CEO 
• Do these jeans for curvy women fit? 

• More business news
• Business photo galleries

Cincinatti-based Kroger Co. has spent $5.5 million transforming the store at 3330 Piedmont Road into a “Fresh Fare” concept — only the fifth nationwide and the first in Georgia. It will be open to the public on Sunday.

Fresh Fare’s focus is organic and freshly prepared foods. About 10,000 square feet, or nearly one-fifth of the store, is dedicated to sushi chefs, chef-made entrees, imported cheeses, olives and fresh breads.

And wine is a major focus of the store. More than 4,400 wines take up the center of the store — including a temperature-controlled room for the top vintages.

“When you walk into the store, you get that ‘wow’ factor,” said store manager Stephen Leonard.

Bill Harris, the wine steward, can explain (in layman’s terms) why wine oxidizes and why that bottle of Semillon has such a yellowish color. He said it’s his goal to have the largest and best wine selection in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Chef Howard Warren is creating menus for the hot bar, including his favorite, garden tilapia. He has more than a dozen sous chefs and line cooks.

But don’t be fooled. Even though there are nearly no “Kroger” signs in the store (“Fresh Fare” is the branding), you can still get Peter Pan peanut butter (on special now for two for $4), as well as Kroger-brand products that are more modestly priced. And there’s still a pharmacy.

Shoppers just won’t find everything in 16 sizes, said Leonard, who has stewarded the transformation of the 57,332-square-foot store, which took five months.

Leonard has hired 285 brand-new staffers. In all, the staff grew from 109 to more than 300 because of the labor-intensive process of preparing foods to go.

The store has been known as the “disco Kroger” since the 1980s because it shared the Peachtree-Piedmont Crossing shopping center with a disco called the Limelight. The store originally opened in 1976.

Former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell will be on hand Sunday for the ribbon-cutting. He’s now president of the Buckhead Coalition, a booster organization.

He remembers shopping at the disco Kroger alongside all-night revelers from the disco.

“Dating way back, I was trading there late at night with some odd-looking people, but I probably looked just as odd to them,” laughed Massell.

He works right across the street from the Kroger, and is excited to lunch there.

Leonard said that won’t be a problem. In “The Bistro,” diners will have 82 seats to choose from, including some on the sidewalk.

The store will continue to carry wraps and salads from R. Thomas, the eclectic Peachtree Road restaurant.

Still, it may seem like a precarious time to launch an upscale grocery store, given the recent gyrations on Wall Street and dramatic dips in retail sales.

Buckhead already has upscale grocers, from Whole Foods to Fresh Market, with a specialty store, Trader Joe’s, coming soon.

But Kroger officials say they aren’t worried.

“We have no reservations launching an upscale store in the Buckhead community,” said Glynn Jenkins, director of communications for Kroger’s Atlanta division. “We will still offer items that provide value. We have the Kroger Plus Card savings and Kroger brand products as well.”

Massell thinks Buckhead will take to it like teenagers to rock ‘n roll.

“Luxury markets are the last to feel economic downturns and the first to come back when the health of the economy returns,” said Massell. “Buckhead is known for fine food, both in restaurants and in grocers, so it will fit right in. I’m very proud that Kroger has made this investment in Buckhead. We’re comfortable it’ll pay off.”

Kroger is the nation’s largest supermarket chain. It operates 2,474 stores, with brands from Ralphs to Fred Meyer. In 2007, the company’s revenues were $74.53 billion.

Supermarket sales have been improving as consumers eat more at home. Company executives said in September that despite malaise in other retail sectors, Kroger’s sales have been doing well, trending up by 5 percent.