Business – Page 6 – West Boca News

ALDI Opens October 14th; Grand Opening 15th

We’ve received official word from ALDI that the Grand Opening of their West Boca store will be on October 15th.

To celebrate the opening of the first Boca Raton store, ALDI will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Following the ceremony, the first 100 shoppers will receive a golden ticket, each containing ALDI gift certificates of various amounts.

Unofficially we think the store will open for business on October 14th, as shown by a handwritten sign on the front and what we’ve heard from other sources – see images below and at top.

The new store is located in West Boca Square, the plaza on the northwest corner of 441 and Palmetto Park Road. Target is at the north end of the plaza with Chili’s at the south end. ALDI will open next to Hobby Lobby in part of the space formerly occupied by Beall’s. It is unclear how the store will look at this moment in time.
We previously wrote about ALDI coming to West Boca in May of last year. It took a year and a half, but they’re coming.
Here’s the official release:
On Thursday, Oct. 15, ALDI, the nation’s low-price grocery leader*, will offer Boca Raton shoppers a smarter alternative as it opens its first Boca Raton store, located at 21759 State Road 7. With more than 1,400 stores in 32 states, ALDI is known for high-quality grocery items at incredibly low prices.
To celebrate the opening of the new Boca Raton store, ALDI will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. The public is invited to attend. Following the ceremony, the first 100 shoppers will receive a golden ticket, each containing ALDI gift certificates of various amounts. Customers can also tour the store, sample ALDI exclusive brand products and enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of ALDI produce. ALDI currently carries nearly 70 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including several organic produce items.
“We look forward to introducing Boca Raton shoppers to ALDI, where they can find the majority of their average weekly shopping list from our exclusive brand products – including fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and bakery items – for up to 50 percent** less,” said Chris Hewitt, Royal Palm Beach division vice president for ALDI. “We are committed to bringing ALDI customers the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices in a simple and easy-to-navigate shopping environment.”
The Boca Raton store features high ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally-friendly building materials – such as recycled materials and energy-saving refrigeration and light bulbs – to ensure that customers enjoy a shopping experience that is simple and easy to navigate.
In addition to the store’s new look, ALDI will bring shoppers a wide range of new, healthier options like organic produce, USDA Choice beef and the SimplyNature line of products, free of artificial colors, flavors or unnecessary enhancers. ALDI also recently introduced its liveGfreeTM gluten-free product line.
Customers can expect to find more than 1,300 of the most commonly purchased items sold under ALDI exclusive brands for prices up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets. To ensure its exclusive brands meet or exceed the national brands on taste and quality, ALDI conducts rigorous testing on all products. ALDI stands behind this quality with a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with a food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the customer’s money.
ALDI exemplifies efficiency by eliminating overhead costs through smart practices, such as a cart rental system, through which shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart and receive the quarter back upon the cart’s return. Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and encouragement of customers to bring their own shopping bags.
ALDI also saves shoppers money by keeping stores open during prime shopping times. The newest location will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. ALDI accepts cash, debit and EBT cards.
Over the next several years, ALDI plans to add an average of 130 new stores each year, expanding the ability to bring grocery savings to more people every day.
About ALDI Inc.
A leader in the grocery retailing industry, ALDI operates more than 1,400 US stores in 32 states, primarily from Kansas to the East Coast. More than 30 million customers each month save up to 50 percent** on their grocery bills, benefiting from the ALDI simple and streamlined approach to retailing. ALDI sells more than 1,300 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands, which must meet or exceed the national name brands on taste and quality. ALDI is so confident in the quality of its products, the company offers a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any ALDI food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price. ALDI was named the 2014 Retailer of the Year by Store Brands Magazine for its strong commitment to value and innovation-focused private brand product development. For more information about ALDI, visit www.aldi.us.

Warranty Issues at Frameless Shower Doors

Update: The company came and fixed our shower door at no charge. The workers were pleasant and careful. They cleaned up after themselves and were even good with the dog. The problem was a bent lower hinge. They replaced both hinges even though the upper one did not appear to be damaged.
So far the company has not changed the warranty language on their website. We have encouraged them to do so and will update this article if and when they let us know that it has been done.
Before they came we had spoken with a customer service representative and a manager (twice) who both insisted that there was an $85 labor charge. The manager even read the warranty language with us over the phone and still wouldn’t budge. It was only after they became aware of our complaint on Angie’s List and/or this article that they agreed to waive the charge.
With all that said, the shower door looked good new and still looks good now. The price was very reasonable. They’re a good company and we would recommend them to others, but with a caveat that their warranty is not what it seems.
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We had a bad experience this morning with “Frameless Shower Doors & Enclosures, Inc.” and we’d like to warn consumers about it. The company is based in Coral Springs.

Back in 2011 we bought a frameless shower door from them. It looks good and has been fine for the past 3+ years. But in the last few weeks we’ve noticed a popping noise.
We found the invoice and called for service. While calling we noticed their website’s installation page describes a lifetime warranty with service free of charge:

All of our installations (South Florida residents) are backed by a free lifetime warranty.* If your custom frameless shower door and/or enclosure ever leaks, squeaks, or if your hardware tarnishes or comes loose, simply call our office and we will send a crew out to your home to address your concerns and if need be, replace your hardware free of charge.
We are so confident in our work and our product that we can offer this guarantee for the lifetime of your enclosure, free of charge.

So you can imagine our surprise when we were told there would be a labor charge of $85 for them to come out and check the problem. The customer service rep told us that her manager said the “free of charge” applies only to hardware. She offered to let me speak to the manager. After a few minutes on hold she came back on to say that the manager was no longer available but I could call back.
There is an asterisk next to “free lifetime warranty” but there’s no asterisk at the bottom of the page, nor anywhere else, that explains what the asterisk is for. And there is no asterisk anywhere near the words “free of charge.”
We read the above text to the customer service rep and she did not accept the language from their own website, deferring instead to her unavailable manager.
Is this merely a customer service fail, or fraud by the company? Should we switch to a company like GlassShowerDirect.com? Please let us know what you think in the comments, either on the website or on our Facebook page.

Pei Wei To Open June 29th and …

We received an erroneous press release from Pei Wei this morning, which seemed to indicate the new restaurant at Glades and 441 is already open. We stopped by today. They were supposed to open but it got pushed back two weeks for unspecified reasons.

That’s not all that’s going on the plaza. We asked around and got details on all the shops that will be open, as discussed in this video:

Facing the new mini-plaza looking from the corner of Glades and 441, from left to right there will be a Vision Works, Verizon Wireless, Mattress Firm, European Wax, and then Pei Wei at the southern end.

From Pei Wei’s press release:

The newest tenant in the Westwinds of Boca shopping plaza, Pei Wei will introduce 50 jobs to the area and is part of an expansion plan that will bring another Pei Wei to nearby Pompano Beach later this summer.

The restaurant is located at 9930 Glades Road and is open from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday for both dine-in and takeout customers. Takeout orders can be placed by calling 561-483-7067 or visiting www.PeiWei.com.
Pei Wei Asian Diner serves freshly prepared, wok’d-to-order dishes with Asian inspiration in a comfortable, modern diner environment. Pei Wei owns and operates 193 restaurants in 25 states and the District of Columbia and licenses the Pei Wei brand for use by partner restaurant operators in airport and international locations.
Menu highlights include:
NEW Ways to Kung Pao: The fan-favorite Classic Kung Pao Wok Entrée combines chili seared soy sauce with hand-cut scallions, garlic, snap peas, carrots and peanuts, served with choice of protein and white or brown rice. For a limited time, fans of this craveworthy dish can enjoy the Lighter Kung Pao Wok Entrée, swapping the rice for crisp lettuce cups, or grab their chopsticks and try the new Kung Pao Shrimp Sushi, a sushi roll topped with crispy shrimp, crumbled peanuts and kung pao sauce.
NEW Sushi Crunch Rolls: Topped with tempura flakes to pack the ultimate crunch, the hand-rolled Teriyaki Crunch Roll and Wasabi Crunch Roll are bold twists on classic sushi favorites.
Light and Fresh Salads: Pei Wei has a selection of lighter salads like the Asian Chopped Chicken Salad, tossed with sliced chicken, assorted lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, Thai basil, tomatoes, crispy wontons, toasted sesame seeds and sesame ginger vinaigrette.
Wok Fresh Entrées: Pei Wei is known for its made-to-order wok dishes, fired in 700-degree woks to seal in the bold flavors. Popular picks include the Honey Seared Wok Entrée. Recommended with crispy chicken or shrimp, this dish combines sweet honey garlic sauce, chili oil, rice sticks, scallions and red peppers. On the savory side, the Mongolian Wok Entrée, recommended with tender beef, mixes soy sauce, scallions, garlic and white mushrooms.
Perfect Additions: Complete any meal with a number of options including edamame, Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls and the signature hand-rolled Vegetable Spring Rolls.

Closings: Shorty's BBQ and GBS Beauty

Two businesses closed recently in West Boca, both off of 441. The most prominent is Shorty’s BBQ which was located in The Reserve shopping center on the southeast corner of Clint Moore and 441, near Ben’s Deli, Villa Rosano and Tempura House. We had been there a couple times and liked it, but somehow we didn’t make it back there that often.
There has been no official announcement but a couple of our readers contacted the Miami location and were told the closing is permanent. We don’t know for sure but we suspect that the success of Sweet Dewey’s BBQ (one of our favorite places to eat) cut into Shorty’s business.
Also, GBS Beauty in Boca Greens (west side of 441, halfway between Yamato and Glades) closed. The following message was on the door:

The remaining store on St. Andrews is still in what we consider West Boca since we draw the line at Military Trail.

New Theater in Promenade

For those who don’t know it, Promenade at Coconut Creek is on the west side of Lyons Road just south of Wiles, about 3 miles south of the county line. Last year we wrote about changes coming to The Promenade. One of them is about to open.
Here’s a short video version of the story, with more detail in the article below:

Silverspot is a small chain with theaters in two other locations, one in Naples and the other in North Carolina. They are adding to that with this new one, which will have 11 theaters and total seating for around 1500 people. The theater is on the southwest corner of the Promenade plaza, behind the Lane Bryant store and not far from World of Beer.

While not open for business yet, they expect to start showings in just a couple days. And they were kind enough to give us a quick tour inside.
There is a lobby, bar and restaurant area as you enter, which was busy with staff and final preparations so we didn’t get a good picture of that. On one side as you enter are electronic kiosks for buying tickets. Going along with the trend we’ve seen at other theaters, seating is reserved and most tickets are now bought in advance on line. There is no box office but they do have a customer service counter where you can try to buy tickets – if they’re not already sold out.
In the back of this lobby area there is a counter for buying popcorn, other snacks, and some pre-packaged items from the restaurant. The restaurant is a bit of a big deal. They’re not releasing the name or full description yet, but it’s apparently connected to Iron Chef and Top Chef reality TV competitor David Burke. Burke has several restaurants, mostly in the NYC and NJ area. This will be his first in Florida.

After you pass the refreshments a hallway takes you to the theaters. The interior uses a lot of black color:

Inside the theaters are set up with deluxe chairs and stadium seating.

There is also an upstairs hallway which helps provide greater access for disabled customers. In most theaters wheelchairs are stuck sitting in or near the front row but this feature allows them to sit up high if they prefer.
Tickets will be $14.50, with a reduced rate of just under $10 for kids and seniors. The best way to buy them is on the company website at silverspotcinema.net.
One particularly cool feature you can see in some of our photos is the wind turbine situated between the theater and the rest of Promenade. Along with a number of other environmental features they are hoping to get LEED certification for the building.

While we were in the plaza we also noticed a new “dessert place”, Batter Co, very close to the new theater. They’ve been open for about four weeks and feature cupcakes as well as some frozen desserts.