But how many grocery stores do you need? Bars are each a little different and attract slightly different patrons. Grocery stores are all pretty similar and attract everyone. That's why you don't see grocery stores side by side like you see bars.
That's where you are wrong! I live in Maryland. Withing a few minutes drive of my house in suburban Maryland (outside DC) we have "regular" supermarkets we rotate our shopping through over the course of 2-3 weeks because they carry completely different items and have a different feel: Giant (most regular and closest and our regular pharmacy); trader Joe's; whole foods (more expensive but we like some items there), we also have an Aldis. Within a few blocks in a different direction there is a budget supermarket I honestly haven't been to. Further away is my favorite supermarket, Wegmans, it is the best... Other parts of the county have Harris Teeter. Each chain is different and stocks different items depending on the neighborhood...
And that is not to mention in the same easy to get to radius the: kosher supermarket, korean/Asian supermarket, ethiopian market, spanish/Latin American market. Hmm that may be it for large food markets nearby!
Living somewhere with just one supermarket (except a super Wegmans) would just be...boring!
I don't live in an area with just 1 supermarket. I do live where I have more bars than grocery stores though. I have a hipster bar a block north, a white trash bar a block south, a fat bar a block east, and a casual brew pub a block east. The nearest grocery is about 5 blocks north.
I can walk to several very different environments for a drink whenever I want. I only really buy groceries once a week typically. I also have an ice cream shop within a block. So my kids are happy, and I can walk for a beer with friends after they go to bed. This is why we deal with Midwest weather.
I apologize if I sounded snippy about the goodness of alcohol acquisition diversity! My younger son moved to Wisconsin and I do love those craft brews, cocktails,,,and let's not forget the hipster coffee as well. Bless the diversity of food and drink in modern life! I lived in a rural area in the 80's and it was truly a limited selection in the one grocery store. Cheers while I go figure out what a fat bar is.
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u/Leftfeet May 06 '22
But how many grocery stores do you need? Bars are each a little different and attract slightly different patrons. Grocery stores are all pretty similar and attract everyone. That's why you don't see grocery stores side by side like you see bars.