EATZI'S CONSUMERS: IT'S QUALITY AND FRESHNESS

JANIN FRIEND

DALLAS (FNS) -- The consumers who are mobbing the restaurant/food store hybrid Eatzi's Market & Bakery here say the high quality takeout purveyor fills a need for ready-to-eat meals that supermarket delis can't provide: gourmet quality food that is fresh.

In 10 interviews conducted outside the door on a recent weekday evening, people laden with freshly bought grab-and-go meals said the combination of service, variety, freshness, food quality and fun offered by Eatzi's is unlikely to be matched by any supermarket -- or any fast food outlet either, for that matter.

"If there were a choice between a supermarket and Eatzi's, I would go here," said Carr Chambliss, a Houston oil tanker designer visiting Dallas who was drawn by the crammed parking lot at Eatzi's. "There would always be a difference in quality," he concluded.

More than half the customers interviewed said they frequented Eatzi's two or more times a week, and that they got good food for a reasonable price without the hassle of cooking.

Many stopped at Eatzi's after work to buy dinner for spouses or friends before driving to north Dallas suburbs, nearby affluent Highland Park or Oak Lawn condominiums. Most said they spent between 15 minutes and 30 minutes in the market.

Judy Boyd, 60, owner of a staffing firm in Dallas, ran into the store for about 15 minutes to grab a dinner to serve to three friends. She bought lasagna, a salad for two guests and roasted vegetables and a bean dish for a vegetarian guest. She paid $24 for the meals, plus beer.

"I am sold on it," said Boyd, who stops at Eatzi's about three times a week, and generally gets takeout food for lunch and dinner up to eight times a week.

She added that she has avoided purchasing some types of supermarket deli meals that she considers pricey. "I don't know if a grocery store can offer this type of quality," Boyd said.

Caroline Elzemeyer, 26, a single who lives nearby, said she stops in three to four times a week to buy dinner, usually spending about $10. This time, she bought $11 worth of Brie cheese, pate and French bread to serve as appetizers to four friends.

Although she buys takeout food almost every weekday, she said she prefers this type of market to a grocery store. "It's not only the food; it's also the atmosphere," Elzemeyer said. "Visually, it's appealing."

Howard Watkins, 33, a Dallas stockbroker who works near Eatzi's, was impressed with the variety during his first visit and had grabbed $40 worth of mushroom pizza, vegetables, Greek olives, tortellini salad, bread and a whole roasted chicken. Although he could have purchased those types of food at a supermarket deli, Watkins said he would worry about the quality.

Nicole Curry, 26, who sells furniture in Dallas, visits Eatzi's about two or three times a week to buy meals that can be reheated or easily prepared, such as the gourmet chicken dish with broccoli and cornbread that she bought the night she was interviewed. She paid about $10, which she considered a reasonable price. "The parking is a hassle, but the food is good," she said.

She said she would not buy meals to reheat from a supermarket because "I would wonder how long the meals had been there."

Ardell Chau, 35, a computer programmer from Fort Worth, Texas, said he enjoyed Eatzi's partly because it catered to the health-conscious consumer, and on-duty chefs will tell him how much fat was used in various dishes.

He eats at Eatzi's one to three times a week after he works out in a nearby gym and often spends more than $10 a meal. When interviewed, he had purchased a Caesar salad, sushi, spring water and a brownie for $11.15.

Chau said he would try a supermarket for some of the four takeout meals he ate during the week, but would be doubtful that he would get the same fresh food.

Leonard Gresham, 51, a hair stylist in Oak Lawn, Texas, said he finds Eatzi's "less expensive than a supermarket and more interesting than a restaurant." He stops in about five times to purchase meals for two and usually pays less than $20, although when interviewed, Gresham had paid about $50 for a meal that included champagne, sushi, cooked swordfish, fruit, vegetables, salad and bread.