Mariano’s Under Kroger Strives to Stay Special While Adapting to Shifting Tastes

Janet Weil used to find Mariano’s enchanting. She’d meet her husband at the oyster bar, browse the colorful Spice Shop and enjoy, as she recalls it, the “young vibe.”

But these days, Weil said as she pushed her cart through an aisle at the West Loop store, the shopping trip leaves her feeling less enthused.

“It is banal now,” said Weil, 78, who lives in Hyde Park. “Whatever gave it some flair is gone. It is a generic, cookie-cutter store.”

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Chicago Tribune