Stop & Shop Moving Into Neighboring Johnnie's Foodmaster Site

Are you happy to see a Stop & Shop move into this location, or would you have preferred to see a different supermarket? Let us know by posting a comment below.

In January, we reported that Stop & Shop had acquired the lease to the former Johnnie’s Foodmaster site in West Somerville, just across the Arlington town line. At that time, the supermarket chain wasn’t disclosing its plans for the property, but now it appears a Stop & Shop is, in fact, moving in. Construction recently began on the building’s façade, at 105 Alewife Brook Parkway, and signs reading, “Coming Soon! Stop & Shop Supermarket,” popped up in the parking lot as well. The Stop & Shop will only be about 2.5 miles from the Arlington Stop & Shop at 905 Mass. Ave. The old Johnnie’s Foodmaster site in Arlington, at 808 Mass. Ave., is set to become a Whole Foods. The local grocery store chain closed all of its 10 locations in November. …

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Photo of the Day: Johnnie's Loyalists' Worst Fears Realized

Arlington Patch's Photo of the Day for Monday, Feb. 4.

Stop & Shop Acquires Neighboring Johnnie's Foodmaster Lease, But Plans Unknown

Is Stop & Shop planning to open a store across the street from East Arlington, or does it have other plans for the former West Somerville Johnnie's?

Stop & Shop has acquired the lease to the former Johhnie's Foodmaster site in West Somerville, just across Alewife Brook Parkway from the Arlington town line, but the supermarket company has not announced what it plans to do with the site. "I don't have any news I can share yet," said Suzi Robinson, a spokesperson for Stop & Shop's New England Division. She said she's hoping to announce news about the site sometime during the week of Jan. 28. The Johnnie's at 105 Alewife Brook Parkway in West Somerville closed in November of 2012, along with the company's nine other locations in Eastern Massachusetts, including the one at 808 Mass. Ave. in Arlington. Six of those 10 stores, including the one in Arlington, were transferred to Whole Foods. …

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What Arlington Business Were You Sad to See Close in 2012?

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Arlington, and several other communities in the Boston area, lost a local favorite when Johnnie’s closed in November. Another local favorite, Brigham’s, gave Arlingtonians a scare in 2012, when it was seized by the state in May for “nonpayment of taxes.” Luckily, Brigham’s reopened a few days later. Gemma and Main Event Tuxedo also shuttered their doors in 2012. Gemma was supposed to become “Cooper’s Tavern,” but we’ve heard those plans have fallen through and there’s still a “For Lease” sign in the restaurant’s front window. Main Event Tuxedo did quickly transition to a new boutique, Arlington Centered, which opened in late September. Buona Vita Cucina Italiana became Scugnizzi Pizza & Kitchen, and I Chef became Napoli Kitchen. However, …

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Photo of the Day: Sign of the Times

Arlington Patch's Photo of the Day for Friday, Nov. 30.

Have a photo worthy of our Photo of the Day? Email it to Arlington Patch Editor John Waller at john.waller@patch.com or upload it to our Pics & Clips Gallery.

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A Farewell to Johnnie's

Johnnie's loyalists are getting together for a final goodbye at 4 p.m. today. The grocery store will close for good at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Johnnie’s neighbors and loyal customers are gathering outside their beloved grocery store at 4 p.m. today to say goodbye to the store and, more importantly, its employees. “The store has been a center of neighborhood life, and the employees, they are more than just employees – they’ve become friends,” wrote Arlington resident Carol Band, who lives down the street from Johnnie’s and emailed Arlington Patch about the informal get-together. The store, along with the nine other Johnnie’s, all of which are in the Boston area, will close for good at the end of the business day on Sunday, which is at 5 p.m. in Arlington. ----- What will you miss most about Johnnie’s? Let us know by posting a comment below. ----- In early November, the Chelsea-…

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Alt Drumz

3:29 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012

I have friends who worked at whole foods in fresh pond, as all the 2 year hires were coming up on the point where they would be getting a raise and increased benefits - they were all LAID OFF. Whole Foods is no better than any of the other "discount" places - Home Depot, etc - who treat there staff terrible, suck money out of local economies and offer up "fake wholesome food" to less than …   more ›

Johnnie's Foodmaster is Closing All 10 Locations

Liquidation sales have already begun.

A week after Johnnie's Foodmaster officially announced that its store in Arlington and five others would become Whole Foods, Boston.com has reported the Chelsea-based supermarket chain is closing all 10 of its locations, including the one in West Somerville just over the Arlington town line at 105 Alewife Brook Parkway. Boston.com says an Illinois-based company, Hilco Merchant Resources, which specializes in liquidation services, has begun closing sales at all of the Johnnie's Foodmaster markets. There will be discounts of up to 30 percent, and the closing sales began today, Boston.com reports. The Whole Foods in Arlington is expected to open in the late summer or early fall of 2013. Johnnie's customers: Where will you go now? Let us know …

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Arlington's Johnnie's Foodmaster to Become a Whole Foods

Reports that Whole Foods was interested in the site, along with five others in the Boston area, were true, according to an announcement from Johnnie's Foodmaster.

It's official: Johnnie's Foodmaster in Arlington will become a Whole Foods. According to an announcement sent by Foodmaster Friday morning, the supermarket chain has agreed to transfer six of its 10 locations in the Boston area to the Texas-based upscale supermarket company. In addition to the supermarket in Arlington, Johnnie's Foodmasters in Somerville (on Beacon Street), Charlestown, Brookline, Melrose and South Weymouth will be transferred to Whole Foods. ----- Are you excited about the change? Or are you sad to see Johnnie's go? Let us know by posting a comment below. ----- According to the announcement, those supermarkets will likely close sometime before Nov. 30, when the transfer is scheduled to be officially completed. The …

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Whole Foods Interested in Arlington Johnnie's Foodmaster

Whole Foods is in talks to acquire six of the 10 Johnnie's Foodmaster sites, including the one in Arlington, Boston.com reports. What do you think? Let us know by posting a comment below.

Whole Foods is looking to buy or lease the Johnnie’s Foodmaster on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, according to a report on Boston.com. The Texas-based upscale supermarket chain is in talks to acquire six of the 10 Johnnie’s Foodmaster locations -- Arlington, Brookline, Charlestown, Melrose, South Weymouth and on Beacon Street in Somerville – the news site reports. It’s not yet known whether the sites would be run as Johnnie’s or Whole Foods if the deal goes through, according to the report. ----- Do you want Whole Foods to move in? Or are you a Johnnie’s loyalist? Let us know by posting a comment below. ----- Currently, the two closest Whole Foods to Arlington are at 2151 Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16) in Medford and 200 Alewife …

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Police Log

Waltham Man Allegedly Crashes Car on Park Avenue While Drunk

Incidents and arrests in Arlington from Saturday to Sunday, July 28-29.

The following information comes from the Arlington Police Department. When arrests are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction. Waltham Man Allegedly Crashes Car on Park Avenue While Drunk A 23-year-old Waltham man allegedly crashed his car on Park Avenue, at the Concord Turnpike, while drunk early Sunday morning. Andrew D. Roussinos was arrested for operating under the influence, first offense, shortly after the crash, which took place at about 12:40 a.m. Sunday. Roussinos told Arlington Police that he had been texting when he drove over an island on Park Avenue and then struck a curb. The airbag on Roussinos’ blue Ford sedan deployed during the crash, police said. Roussinos was the only occupant in the car, and he was not injured. …

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