By BETSEY BRUNER
Sun Staff Reporter
Arizona Daily Sun
http://www.azdailysun.com
Sunday, June 01, 2008

Smiling faces. Dazed expressions. Dropped jaws.

These were common reactions 10 days ago for the opening of Flagstaff's brand-new New Frontiers natural marketplace at Butler Avenue and Sawmill Road. It replaces the old store on South Milton Road and, at 24,000 square feet, is more than twice as large.

Shoppers stood in the middle of wide aisles, lost and bedazzled by the array of selections before them, such as a mind-numbing choice of more than 100 varieties of chips.

"We're thrilled," said Flagstaff resident Karen Kampf, who was shopping Wednesday afternoon with her son, Forrest Wilson, 8. "It's the only place I shop. I've been anxiously waiting for the opening of the store. I'm excited that the parking lot is filled, especially considering our current economy. It's pretty upscale for Flagstaff. I anticipate that we'll grow into it. I'm very appreciative."

Forrest said he enjoyed his snacks of dried pineapple and pumpkin cake, eaten in the store's ample new south-facing, glass-enclosed dining area, a vast improvement over the old cramped eating area on South Milton Road.

Children sped around the store, pushing their very own mini-shopping carts, complete with banners reading, "Customer in training."

On opening day, customers loaded up shopping carts to overflowing and parked on nearby streets as the store lot filled up.

"On opening day, the new New Frontiers here in Flagstaff did more in sales than any of our other store openings -- anywhere," said Dennis D'Andrea, store team leader for Flagstaff.

To add to the daunting task of opening, about two dozen new employees had to be hired, trained and in full swing for the Memorial Day holiday.

By Wednesday, new employee Tyler Bryson was cutting up roasted chicken in the kitchen, which is eight times larger than the old kitchen.

"I opened with the new store, with the expansion," Bryson said. "The training here has been wonderful, and the camaraderie. We see ourselves as team members. We're all here to make the customers smile."

Although there were a few modest glitches, the soft opening ran smoothly, with many customers returning during the holiday weekend and the week following.

UPGRADES GALORE

New Frontiers staff in Arizona and California started planning for a new store location three years ago.

The store was custom-designed to incorporate features requested by Arizona customers and staff, with feedback from the head office in Solvang, Calif.

"It's really the perishable departments we've made strides in -- the deli expansion, anything that has to be refrigerated," said Priya Drews, marketing manager at the Flagstaff store. "We have fresh Artisan bread baked daily. Most of the employees really like the sushi bar."

Customers can also enjoy pizza made fresh in the store bakery.

"We can't keep up with the pizza, and they're so inexpensive," Drews said.

A new cheese island carries more than 100 cheeses, including offerings with exotic names like Porter with Guinness, Fromage D'Affinois, Sage Derby and Drunken Goat.

All meat products are certified organic and are displayed without cellophane wrapping in long, well-lit cases.

"One of our parameters is whatever we bring in is clean, meaning no added dyes, no pesticides, no chemicals, no preservatives and no growth hormones," Drews said.

Because of a huge increase in storage and cooler capacity, the store can stock frozen organic turkeys all the time, as well as specialty meats and poultry, such as bison, antelope, elk, duck, pheasant and smoked trout and salmon.

Specialty sausage is also being made fresh on the premises, cinnamon apple turkey and lemon thyme chicken.

New Frontiers is the first local venue to offer range-raised beef from the Bar T Bar, one of the two Diablo Trust ranches. The beef is sold under the Country Natural Beef label.

The store also has a large supplements section, health-related books and fresh flowers.

A date for a grand opening has not yet been announced, but the store is hosting its popular ice cream festival Saturday, June 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., with a huge variety of ice cream products and toppings. Donations will benefit a local nonprofit.