New Seasons Market is set to open at 951 NW Ballard Way one month from today.
The 25,000 square foot facility will feature a full-service meat and seafood department, deli, local and organic produce, fresh sushi, made-to-order sandwiches, pre-packaged meal kits, floral department and a large variety of local beer, wine and spirits.
“We are excited to open our doors to the Ballard community,” said Kerri Hunsley, Ballard store manager. “We hope to become a favorite a gathering place for our new neighbors and friends and be an active part of the community. We’ve partnered with local nonprofits, sourced products from local vendors and have hired staff from local neighborhoods.”
When we peeked in the windows this weekend, we saw shelving, signage and cash registers in place (above). As we reported earlier, the mural along the back of the building is complete.
New Seasons says it’s been working with local producers and artisans, and the store will feature Parfait Ice Cream, & Tonic, Fidalgo Coffee, Iris & Poppy’s Kitchen and Fremont Brewing (which will offer an exclusively brewed Hazy India Pale Ale.)
“We’re honored to join the wonderful Ballard community and have spent time over the last year listening to understand the needs of our new neighbors, local vendors, producers and community partners,” said Kristi McFarland, Co-President and Chief People Officer. “It’s important that we reflect all the great ideas we heard from the residents into our Ballard store offerings.”
New Seasons will join Ballard Market, QFC, Safeway, Fred Meyer, Trader Joe’s and Amazon Fresh in the Ballard area — as well as the new PCC, currently under construction a short distance away at Ballard Blocks II.
In February Portland-based New Seasons announced the departure of its CEO and a “strategic shift” to invest more in core stores and communities. The company’s employees have been working toward unionizing and filed a labor complaint against the company in December.
By the way, there’s no word of what’s coming to the new office/retail space located directly across from the New Seasons parking lot. If you have any tips, please let us know.
(Full disclosure: Both New Seasons as well as the “Good Jobs Coalition” — which opposes New Seasons opening in the Central District — have been My Ballard advertisers)
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
AT&T is a confirmed tenant in the space, per the Terminal at Ballard web site.
https://www.centercal.com/the-terminal-at-ballard
The Terminal at Ballard Facebook page has alluded to The Habit Burger as a tenant, as well.
https://www.facebook.com/The-Terminal-at-Ballard-248834978853431/
So a knockoff of Whole Foods, which fails miserably in quality, price and selection, which is very publicly anti-union and which treats its employees poorly, thinks they have a shot among a sea of grocery stores, in an historically very pro-union neighborhood, in a very pro-union city?
I’d say good luck, but I wouldn’t be sincere.
I also wouldn’t shop at a place that doesn’t pay cashiers or bag boys 6 figures.
@Stephen Oooh thank you!
Dang, a storefront for the worst wireless company in America AND a national burger chain? We are truly blessed to have CenterCal Properties LLC and their unique tenants as part of our neighborhood!
I’ve been to their location on Mercer Island, it’s pretty great. I’m also excited about PCC coming to that area as well. So many choices.
Oh, and I’m in a union. And I also shop at Ballard Market (no unions there either).
The AT&T and Burger chain is however, a disappointment.
New Seasons is bad for LGBT workers, too: http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews46_08/page8.cfm
I won’t be shopping at New Seasons! I’ll stick to Fred Meyer and Ballard Market (both union) because they have quality products and workers there have the right to bargain a contract. I’ve been following the controversy around New Seasons very closely and I honestly can’t understand why the company would try to open a store here. The reality is retail jobs are hard enough as it is – workers shouldn’t fear retaliation for speaking up about issues like living wages or sick leave. I support the workers at New Seasons and I’ll continue to shop union in Ballard – I hope you all will too :)
I have worked for a union grocery store in West Seattle for the last several years and I can honestly say its not all rosey. Frankly I’m disgusted with all the dishonesty and bullying surrounding this grocery store trying to force them to unionize. All for what??…so the union can cash in on more union dues! Don’t believe the negativity you read about New Seasons. Do your research like I have and you’ll find they’re a great little grocery store.
People in Seattle are always looking for a reason to be outraged.
“Bad for LGBT. Seriously? Get a freaking life. If it’s not some cool hip bar or restaurant opening then it sucks. I wish more on this thread would grow a set and run a business, even for a month. Perhaps then your FEELINGS would change. Perhaps dealing with the city, this and that outraged little group, fees, regulations, unions, employees etc, may change your smugness. Go ahead and boycott based on some union thug giving you marching orders, or your wishes they all made $100K/year. Very progressive of you. The 1930’s called and want you back. Meanwhile, your taxes just went up, on everything. Too bad our local government doesn’t have this type of competition. Lack of IT breeds complacency. I urge you folks to all sign an agreement stating you just won’t shop there. That’d make everybody feel so warm and fuzzy.
@Lacey: Um, Ballard Market is not only a union grocery store, but they also have signs proudly stating that fact around the store.
@Scott: Yeah, the suppression of wages and destruction of workers’ rights that has correlated with the slow, forced decline of labor unions over the past 30-40 years has been totally worth not having to pay union dues! I’ve missed your mentally deranged posts old friend!
@Seattle Native: Just a quick Google search of New Seasons shows all the research you need to know about them and their labor practices. They even recently fired their CEO in an attempt to restructure their company after backlash for the way they treat their employees, which caused them to cancel planned expansions into California to keep their existing locations running. And all you need to do is walk into the Mercer Island store (or any location for that matter) to see, as someone said above, that it’s Safeway quality (note: Safeway is not bad, it’s an average store for quality) at Whole Foods prices. People will inevitably check it out once and probably never go back.
I was going to Uber to this store but the City Council is arbitrarily forcing them to raise their rates – haha you think they’d ever force Amazon to use unions? hahahaha
I guess I’ll just stick to the QFC bum parade.
You progressives need to decide whether you want to force everyone to unionize or not, because you seem to pick and choose based on…convenience. I’m sure everybody’s worried about “wage suppression” in Asian sweatshops where all their precious Amazon throwaway products are made.
@Confederacy: Da fellow American comrade! Unions are the terrible! Let us shame progressives! Rights of workers are for evil country, let us trust in the oligarchs!
Sure, it’s the friendliest store in town. But behind close doors, it treats its employees as disposable objects. Stores are chronically and deliberately understaffed, workers don’t get required breaks, and the health insurance/PTO/Attendance Points system is draconian at best. I hope this pro-union town eats them alive.
I applied for a job at New Seasons in Ballard and they had us do our interview in the bank… in the parking lot of Ballard Market. The email they sent us made it seem like we had to actually go to Ballard Market for the interview too, and it was very confusing and kind of embarrassing to walk in there and ask where to go. It was very weird.
I live in Oregon and have owned a second home in Ballard for 10 years in hopes of retiring there. I shop at New Seasons and can say their meats and seafood put FM to shame. They are a cheap version of WF however I was not aware of the labor issues as the staff have always made me feel valued. I also support TJ’s and combined with NS I can cover all my grocery needs. Give them a chance, change is always a challenge for some.
“They are a cheap version of WF…”
Do you really shop there? They are as expensive as Whole Foods, with less quality. I’ve got no love for Whole Foods, but you get good product. Same with PCC. New Seasons? Not so much.
“Give them a chance, change is always a challenge for some.”
That’s like telling somebody that doesn’t want to get kicked in the nuts: “Give it a chance, change can be a challenge!”