The supermarkets still expect us to struggle up and down their silly long aisles before we get to unload onto the conveyor belt, pack, load into the car and unload again. No wonder online grocery is doing so well.
For the sake of balance, it’s not perfect at Eataly. The sense of it living right on the edge of chaos still pervades, as if at any moment, like a highly strung Ferrari, it might just go pop. There are signs too that the single minded Farinetti vision has become slightly blurred: the wine lists are over-long, the menus seem to get longer too. Some of the staff have even started to show signs that dealing with the crowds has become a bit of a chore…and this can be very dangerous.
Barely a block from Manhattan’s Eataly is the brand new Fairways supermarket. On the plus side it has an instore baker, a fabulous selection of cheeses, an olive oil bar and even a lunchtime sandwich counter. The problem is that the staff are so miserable that it’s difficult to use. Let’s hope that as slow food gathers momentum it stays happy.
The news that Eataly will be taking a big slice of Westfield’s food space at the new World Trade Center means New York will be the only global city with two Eataly stores! I’m assured that it will not simply replicate the Flatiron offer so it will be fascinating to see how the brand develops and what else they bring to market.