Fresh & Easy

Too bad that this Fresh & Easy closed.
It opened to much fanfare but the pre-​made meal concept probably wasn’t ideal for Brentwood. I never bought much there and because of the relatively high prices. I usually only bought things that were on sale or marked down because the had reached their expiration date. The store was was often empty when I dropped by. So, it’s not entirely surprising that it closed; it wasn’t a question of if, just when. Didn’t help that they had to compete w/​Safeway directly the street.
Would be nice if Smart & Final took over the space — as an alternative to Safeway and Raley’s — but that’s not likely after they closed the S&F «superstore» located next to Michael’s on Lone Tree in Antioch several years ago. Oh well. ..

love this place! I can pop in real quick for a healthy snack and they have a great selection of organic and healthy foods. I see a trend of more organic companies being sold as well they carry a number of brands that Wholefoods carries so I don’t have to drive all the way to Walnutcreek. So 5 stars for the great selection and the fact that they’re open late is cool too

Every time I come in here it’s so empty, I honestly have no idea how they are still in business but I do hope they stay! The fact that it’s never crowded is one of the reasons I love it here so much (I avoid Safeway at all costs)! I have never done my «big» shopping trips here, this is more of a mid-​week get what we’re out of sort of place. I love their shepherd’s sandwich bread! They also have a good organic food selection. Their produce is meh. Price is very reasonable and it’s all self check out so I’m in and out of there real quick. It’s F n easy!

It’s worth saying that the overall change in F&E’s ownership has completely ruined this store. Prices on the items I lived for have gone up almost 100% — ready-​made salads that used to less than $ 5 are now nearly $ 8. You’ve got to be kidding me. Of course, none of these changes have brought an increase in quality. Produce ages quickly, and every single staple item is now embarrassingly overpriced. Trader Joe’s holds a huge competitive advantage now.
I loved you once, Fresh & Easy, but those days are over.

Since being bought out by Yucaipa Companies in 2013., Fresh and Easy has changed its’ prices, procedures, and policies more frequently than Katie Perry changes hair color.(
)
Yucaipa evidently had hopes that assaulting their loyal customer base with a shot of retail alchemy based on nothing more than a series of seemingly arbitrary and baffling changes would create inner peace and joy for consumer and stockholder alike.
They were… WRONG
Change and hope, as we all have learned over the past few years, don’t always turn out to be good things. Trying to be all things to all people is a fool’s errand that leads to being nothing to no one.
Fresh and Easy’s Achilles’ heel was always its’ grossly schizophrenic approach to finding a place in the food retail universe. Dilettantes, dabblers, and dreamers do not generally come up with the best marketing plans and the lack of focus by F&E was apparent in every store.
Is F&E a wanna-​be Trader Joe’s? Or a a clean, well-​lighted Quickie Mart? They can’t compete with Safeway, so they basically blow off produce like an ugly stepsister. Short shrift is putting it mildly. I purchased a bag of avocados here that were so hard I used them to pound nails. Perhaps F&E is a «take and bake» purveyor for the commuter crowd… Who really knows?
F&E’s niche was amorphous enough to defy definition,. For that reason, their ability to penetrate the consciousness of Brentwood was handicapped, to say the least. As one of my fellow shoppers put it, «It looks great inside, and everything is clean, but I am not sure I „get“ them.»
Nor did I. But in the beginning, I did enjoy being able to purchase organic chicken and beef for less than either Safeway or Trader Joe’s. Sadly, much of their selection of organic beef is gone, and their prices have been jacked up so that there is no clear price advantage over TJ’s.
I also bought many of the F&E organic private label products, like the organic mini-​cheese crackers. Those brand name items have gone missing, some replaced with «Wild Oats» products. WHAT??? So, now they are a «Wild Oats» store? I’m as confused as when Kmart tried to paint lipstick on its’ pig self by merging with Sears a few years back.
I loved the markdown section, where one could find some very good bargains. It was a highlight of the Brentwood store. Alas, some marketing dough-​brain at the new corporate office must have told them «Psst! You need to hide all the markdowns in the regular produce and make them hard to find, like Easter eggs. In addition, the markdowns aren’t really that much of a good deal anymore. Get it fresh across the street at Safeway for a couple of dollars more. (and you’ll be able to get ripe avocados there, too!)
The biggest change I have noticed is that the Brentwood store has lost a lot of its original, helpful, enthusiastic employees. lured by what used to be a generous wage and benefits package. I am guessing this is no longer being offered since some of the current crop of employees have the enthusiasm of Harold and Kumar after 10 bong hits. No eye contact, prison-​shuffle down the aisles, avoiding people. Little to no interaction with customers.
What a contrast to when the store first opened and I was greeted and engaged by management and employees. They really helped me have a great shopping experience, even if I still wasn’t sure exactly how F&E fit into my life.
Now, I seldom go into this store, except to get organic almonds or cashews (TJ’s doesn’t sell these) but when I do– I am shocked by the ever-​changing prices, (NO MORE COUPONS???) and re-​arranging that has been going on.
It’s hard to find anything and no one there wants to help.
Shame on you, F&E, you coulda been a contender…

I’ve always been a Safeway & Winco person & an occasional Trader Joes shopper. I truly wanted to dislike this place but what can I say, this place isn’t bad.
Pros: they call it fresh & easy cuz it’s literally just that, everything in the store is top quality fresh produce & the store itself is immaculate, extremely clean.
Best part about this store is their pre marinated meats!
They sell all sorts of meats & fishes which they pre marinate & write the nutrition facts on & sell pre packaged.
It almost seems like nothing sits on the shelf for more than a day. The freshness of their products is ridiculous.
Cons: kinda pricy, but you get what you pay for. Quality is their top priority in my opinion. So can’t complain…
Lastly… it’s self check out only.
That’s the only thing that really bugs me. I Pay 100% of the ticket price & I want someone to bag my stuff like a traditional grocery store.
Pay me an hourly rate there if you’re having me work, I’m the consumer not your employee. Finish your job & bag my stuff… It’s simple.

I’ve shopped at Fresh & Easy a few times, but my MIL loves it. She recently moved up here from Henderson NV where she shopped at the F&E there. Last week she wasn’t feeling well, but needed to go to the store. She asked one of the employees if they would mind helping her bag since she wasn’t feeling good. He asked if she had eaten yet and she hadn’t. He gave her a juice and two employee’s checked, bagged and carried out her groceries. Now THAT is great service!
Thank you for having caring employees!

The prepared food is great.
The produce seems to be in better shape than Safeway. I’ve came here after Safeway’s bananas were nasty and Fresh & Easy had beautiful, ready to eat bananas. Not to say that Safeway’s bananas are always that way. I am just comparing the 2 stores since they are across the street from each other.
Fresh & Easy has more organic produce than Safeway. They also have organic meat. I haven’t been able to find any at Safeway. Maybe they have it, but it wasn’t obvious.
The available help is not good. My very 1^st time in the store I couldn’t find anyone to help me. The few times I have seen workers, they were not wearing a store shirt so it wasn’t obvious right away that they were employees.
If you are going for the 1^st time, take a friend to help you out or make sure you aren’t in a hurry.

I visit Fresh & Easy every week and have friends who go more often. I love their produce (portions are often pre-​packed — like grapes — and at a set price, so what you see is what you pay for — no surprises at checkout). Also appreciate the coupons!
There are daily specials on items like fresh salsa, salads and breads. Love the sliced whole wheat white bread for $ 1.99/loaf and only 2 Weight Watchers points for 2 slices! Also the marinated bbq pack which includes several pieces of chicken, hamburgers and sausages is excellent. Their fresh salads, asian food and cakes are great too. My kids love them!
If you want something healthy and fast for your family you can’t go wrong.

Good things:
Some good stuff in the clearance section if you plan to use it in a DAY or if you want to freeze it for later use.
Good quality products, but again, a little pricey.
Bad:
Produce such as veggies, fruits, are very pricey and mediocre.
Employees, employees, employees– why do i say this?
From what I’ve seen, employees/​an employee would stand near the end of the self check out not acknowledging their customers. At most, if they see your check out station with a blinking light, they’ll walk over, NOT say anything, proceed to push buttons on the screen, and walk away. This happened to me countless of times.
The employees also seem judgmental AND discriminative.
I also noticed that employees tend to greet/​be friendlier towards Caucasians.
Overall: I’d stick to Trader Joe’s– Feels like a much more diverse, welcoming atmosphere. Something that Fresh&Easy needs to work on. Other than that, F&E is not a pleasant experience for me… Simply because of the employees.

People are spoiled. There is nothing wrong with this concept and the store has some very unique items. Prices are good, don’t know what the person was saying about Sierra Nevada beer being 9.99. I was there yesterday and it was 7.99. There is a frequent buyers card for more savings. All the employees are friendly and helpful.
I like it because its still relatively unknown and no as crowded as Safeway and Trader Joes. Im a fan and will support this store. Lots of parking, Great selection, Try it, you’ll like it.

This place confuses me. First of all, it’s a HUGE gamble build a new store from the ground up, directly across the street from what I think is a very good Safeway store. However, if you’re a Nugget-​esque or Trader Joes-​type market, that has a lot of specialty foods you really can’t get at your typical grocery store, it makes sense (I still make a special trip to Trader Joes every week for my favs!). But almost everything in this store is the typical stuff found right across the street at Safeway, and at not much of a discount (if any). If this were located closer to my house than Safeway was, I’d make it work. But how is it gonna be closer to ANYONE’S house than Safeway if it’s smack dab across the street? Don’t get it. How many people are really gonna go there for a portion of their groceries, only to have to go over to Safeway anyways for the rest?
Anyways, a quick rating of their dept’s:
Pasteries — VERY GOOD (great Il Fornaio bakery, croissants for $ 1 are excellent)
Jarred and Canned products — VERY GOOD (great line of simmering sauces and pasta sauces)
Meats — VERY GOOD (everything looks very fresh and inviting in their meat area)
Premade foods — GOOD (variety not great, but quality of their own pre-​made dinners are much better than the frozen food brand names)
Household goods, cleaners, detergent etc. — BAD (not much variety, not much savings)
Fruits and Vegetables — HORRIBLE (quality not good, and they only have the basics. One type of apple, one type of bell pepper, etc.)
I do come here once a month or so and buy a few pasta sauces and simmering sauces, which are very good. Plus I’ll get a pastery while I’m at it. But that’s it.
It sucks to not review this one higher, because I would like to see that particular strip mall, which has struggled for ages, succeed. They need a solid anchor store. Fingers crossed it finds enough of a niche to stay around.

I hadn’t been in a store like this since learning of this concept when I was in London back in 2007. Back then I think the concept was in the form of a smaller format grocery store called Marks & Spencer or was it called something else? My memory sometimes fails me and that’s a bad thing considering my age but I digress.
I was actually pretty excited to see how the Brits made this format work for the good ol’ US of A. I can say they were successful however the concept still needs to ware on me. Much of the materials used throughout the store seems to be very sustainable, green, what have you. I applaud this kind of approach to new construction in that us humans are wasteful lil s**ts!
They have everything you could possibly want and need either pre-​packaged and ready to heat/​eat or the brands you know and love. The price points for some things could use a bit of a re-​work but then there are some that kinda surprised me! Also there is no such thing as a person checking out you, it’s all self-​checkout which in my mind is how it should be (sorry my grocery retail friends!).
So if you’re ready for this British invasion (no I don’t mean the Beatles), step right up and soak it all in because I don’t think they’re going anywhere anytime soon!

You would think the prices would be low if you check and bag your own groceries, but that isn’t the case. The produce has been fresh and their French Bread is good. Beyond that you are on your own.
Ernie

Fresh & Easy has some cheap offerings. i’ve tried the breads, pastries, cookies, and though cheap. i got what i paid for.
so it is with the wine and bagels too
eats: day one multigrain wheat bagels (6/​$ 1)
–on the same size, tasted dry
drink: merlot, 1.99 («the big kahuna:»)
–thought it was an house brand, it isn’t
–excess wine bottled from spain
–semi-​smooth, a bit harsh, aftertaste buildup
–similar to trader joes?
shopping notes:
–easy parking, easy in and out
–few shoppers.
-

The first thing I have to say is that, while Fresh & Easy has some very good prices it also has some very high prices. Sierra Nevada for $ 9.99? I have never seen it priced so high. A dozen eggs for over $ 3? Unlike Trader Joe’s, you cannot pick up something here and just know the price will be good. Watch your step.
My first experience with Fresh & Easy was with the Danville store and I was underwhealmed. This one is a bit better. a larger, less claustrophobic space. Still, there is little to recommend it. Oh, some good prices, some good products but not a place I would go out of my way to shop in. They have come into a very competitive market with a poor execution.

My wife and I decided to check out this new market since we happened to be dining close by.
WHAT A JOKE!
They advertise «Big Box Discounts» and yet their prices are outrageous.
Just as a quick example off the top of my head, they wanted more for a 12-​pack of Diet Coke than we normally pay for an entire case at WinCo. Essentially, they’re not competitive at all — their pricing is inline with such stores as Safeway, Whole Foods & Raley’s.The only «steaks» they had were New York strips. I inquired as to why they didn’t carry filets or rib eye steaks and I was told that they weren’t as healthy as a NY strip and that most customers prefer a NY strip over the other choices.
They do have a few unique items in their bakery; the store is clean and the employees are friendly, and those are the only «positives» that I can come up with.
With stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in the area, I really don’t see where Fresh & Easy fits into the whole scheme of things or how they can be competitive. All I know is that neither my wife or myself will be shopping there.

The first time I went into this store, I just wandered around and walked out. It took me a few days to process the utility it serves.
There are an incredible amount of unique things to assay here.
I went back and purchased a package of fresh focaccia bread, bolero rolls, hormone-​free chicken, mini key lime cheesecake, and some various fruits.
I have since been back and tried their Cajon chicken stir fry, chile verde chicken plate, eggs, salsas, premium cheeses, ground beef, and various vegetables.
The two ready made meals we tried were excellent. The salsas were fresh & tasty. The focaccia bread is off the hook. It’s so soft, fresh & fluffy. The cheesecakes are a great option, when you don’t feel like buying or making a whole one. The eggs carry an entirely different consistency than the ones you find in most supermarkets (yay for cage free!).
They carry an eclectic array of old staples and new frontiers. Some of their produce is sold by quantity vs. weight. You have to use one of their cards to check out (they are hanging by the registers), although you are not obligated to actually create an account with them to use the card. If you do join, your spending is tracked (as long as you do not go 90 days without using it) and you will accumulate points that convert to coupons, along with bonus point specials and coupons. Some of their prices are somewhat high and some are very low.
You may not be able to get everything you are looking for here, but they have some great deals and can make life a lot easier for you.
As my daughter put it, «The Fresh & Squeazy rocks».

Not a fan of this place AT ALL. The customer service was great, but the food selection, and abundance of store brand products was almost obnoxious. There was barely anything organic, vegan, or anything different from what Safeway carries. This store doesn’t have a good selection of anything, it reminds me of a drug store, but with all groceries in it.
Another lady I met while looking around in here even said «WHY is this store even here? WHY didn’t they build a Whole Foods, or Sprouts instead? What’s the point of this store if Safeway is right across the street & also cheaper with healthier food!»…I wholeheartedly agreed with her. The prices of things in here are a bit…“off” as well… on top of the lack of selection. Fail.

I’m so excited there’s a Fresh & Easy opening in my neighborhood.
Why?
The days when I don’t want to meander through the aisles like I have nothing else to do, I want a no fuss, I’m in and I’m out kind of grocery store trip. This is the place to do that. Plus, produce are fresh. Crazy reasonably priced. They have both independent brands and name brand items.
If Trader Joes and Safeway fertilized an egg together, and Whole Foods was the surrogate, Fresh and Easy would be the child. Hands down.