Saint Louis CitySide - An Overview of the City Government of Saint Louis

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CitySide
St. Louis Front Page presents St. Louis CitySide, an overview of the City Government of Saint Louis. From time to time, we will take an indepth look at many of the projects in which the city is involved and how these projects will affect residents and visitors.

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Culinaria Market is located on the ground floor of the Ninth Street Garage at the corner of 9th and Olive Streets across from the Historic Old Post Office in downtown St. Louis.

Scott Schnuck, Chairman and CEO Schnucks Markets, was given a round of applause by state and local officials and Culinaria staff as he cut the ribbon to officially open the new store in downtown St. Louis.

Schnucks Opens Culinaria Market in Downtown St. Louis

Customers enthusiastically explored the new 21,000-square-feet Culinaria Market following the ribbon-cutting.

Schnucks Opens Culinaria Market in Downtown St. Louis

Local artist Bill Vann created beautiful large murals depicting the history of farmers bringing their produce from the fields to market.

Schnucks Opens Culinaria Market in Downtown St. Louis

Culinaria features an extensive selection of roses, fresh flowers, green and blooming plants; a Kaldi's Coffee Bar; an Olive Bar; Sandwich Express counter; and a party guide.

Schnucks Opens Culinaria Market in Downtown St. Louis
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), August 11, 2009 - Schnucks unveiled the much anticipated Culinaria Market, Tuesday morning, August 11, to an enthusiastic crowd of well wishers and customers. The new urban prototype is located on the ground floor of the Ninth Street Garage at the corner of 9th and Olive Streets in downtown St. Louis. The features 21,000 square feet on the first level and 6,000 on the mezzanine. Culinaria is the ninth Schnucks store in the city of St. Louis (67th in the metropolitan area).

According to Store Manager Tom Collora, "Schnucks was founded in North St. Louis in 1939 so this is a lot like returning home. We have always maintained a strong connection to the city of St. Louis. We see this new store as a tribute to our founders and to the St. Louis customers who have allowed us to serve them for the past 70 years," he said.

Culinaria is named for the distinctive characteristics that make this hybrid urban market the perfect setting for a fine food and culinary experience. Patrons will find a selection of grocery, wine, spirits, prepared foods, Schnucks pharmacy, health and beauty, household essentials and kitchen items. Customers will also find a large selection of premium items, many bearing the Culinaria brand that was recently introduced.

The current Culinaria product offering includes pasta, pasta sauce, coffee and a complete line of gourmet spices. Items coming soon include oils, balsamic vinegar, marinated vegetables, Bruschetta toast, Bruschetta toppings, San Marzano tomatoes, chocolates and colossal chips.

Culinaria is also bringing a full-service Schnuck Pharmacy to downtown St. Louis. "I think a pharmacy has been needed downtown for a long time. This is a full-service pharmacy and having this store open is that there are so many conveniences for downtown residents in one spot," stated Alderman Phyllis Young, 7th Ward, in an interview following the official ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

"The new store will serve a downtown population of over 10,000. At the time the small Schnucks store across from what was once Famous Barr on Olive closed, the only residents I had were in Mansion House. It was critical to them because many of them were elderly," said Alderman Young.

Schnucks officials hope that the convenience will bring new customers into Culinaria. "We are going to wait and see just how well we've met the customers expectations so far," stated Lori Willis, director of communications for Schnucks Markets. "This store will evolve from the time we open it to the time we can get it perfected so it's the best it can be for the community."

"Our only projection right now is that we hope we have designed a store that will be a great haven for people to come in, office workers, residents, commuters and tourists even," said Willis.

"Having a pharmacy was just a given because we are known for being a combination food and pharmacy store," Willis continued. "We know there was a significant need in the downtown area because even tourists who are coming in from out of town are looking for pharmacies close to where they are staying."

"We are trying to fill a void. We are also trying to make healthy living convenient for our customers," stated Willis.

Culinaria is open daily, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Complimentary customer parking is available to Culinaria shoppers on the third level of theNinth Street Garage. Carryout services are available to the Ninth Street Garage or customers can pull their vehicle into the store's loading zone on Ninth Street and Culinaria associates will load their purchases. For more information, please call 314-436-7694.

Scott Schnuck, Chairman and CEO Schnucks Markets, is flanked by family members to his right and by state and local officials to his left in the first row on the stairs leading to the wine gallery and seating area on the mezzanine. Culinaria staff stood in the second row on the stairs.

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