The thrills and chills of a new neighbor[hood market]

A long time ago at a place far far away, I worked at a themed resort in an alligator park the size of manhattan. At the resort, I discovered a delicious drink called 'The Earl's Grey Lemonade.' This beverage is a perfect synergy of lemonade and iced tea that can't be described with words. Sadly, to return to college I had to move far far away from The Earl of Sandwich (the home of The Earl's Gray Lemonade). Back here in California, I tried to make my own Iced Tea Lemonade but it resulted in more mess than enjoyable drink.

That might seem unrelated, but stick with me...
Driving to school one day, I saw a new sign for "fresh&easy Neighborhood Market." Intrigued, I searched the internet for this new store and was delighted by what I saw. Fresh, organic, environmentally responsible, affordable...I had found the perfect store for me!


Organized, no clutter, well designed packages, recyclable plastic, hybrid parking...fresh&easy was perfect! I looked into one of the the LED (light emitting diode) lit refrigerators and Organic Iced Tea with Lemonade stared back at me. 

I had finally found a replacement for The Earl's Grey Lemonade. In fact, fresh&easy neighborhood market improved upon my favorite drink. Convenient, delicious and organic, I consumed countless bottles of Iced Tea with Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Lemonade. 

Other than the occasional stocking deficiency, fresh&easy remained the perfect market for me. I hadn't stepped into a Ralphs, Vons or Albertsons since the store opened. 

Fast forward a year, this summer I went home to New Jersey to visit my family. 30 days later, I returned to my fresh&easy in Orange looking to stock up on drinks and food. Only my Organic Iced Tea with Lemonade was gone! It had quietly been converted to not being organic while I was away.

That is when I started to notice that the store was changing. Organic Iced Tea Lemonade was eliminated. So was Organic Lemonade. Suddenly, the F&E brand ready to bake cookies had been replaced with Nestlé toll house brands. Vanillin, an artificial flavor? No thanks. 

The conversion of Iced Tea with Lemonade and Lemonade to non-organic products is only the beginning of what I see as negative compromises at fresh&easy. 


Specifically I want fresh&easy to:

• Stop moving away from organic options
• Stop eliminating F&E branded foods and replacing them with national brands that contain artificial colors, flavors and preservatives
• Stop introducing clutter

So, while you might not love Iced Tea with Lemonade like I do, stick around and I'll show you why you should care about your ability to buy food with integrity, what that means, and why fresh&easy is still our best hope for bringing affordable and sustainable food to everyone.