Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/61757
FROM THE PUBLISHER Getting hair-care tips from Common while celebrating at Michigan Avenue's kickoff at Hubbard Inn for the Common Ground Foundation. My first part-time job taught me so much about how powerfully a positive experience can impact a customer's Father knows best! With my dad, Paul Uslan, at his 88th birthday party. loyalty. I was 15 and worked at the local grocery store in Springfield, New Jersey, where every Thursday night the same woman would come in looking for our "freshest" pineapple. She would always say, "Check in the back room for a new box, would you, young man?" in a tone reminiscent of your favorite aunt's, and without hesitation I would do just that, even if I was busy and even if I knew every pineapple we had was already out on display. I wanted her to be happy and feel like the most important customer in the store. A few weeks ago I found myself at the new Mariano's Fresh Market at Lake Shore East. This is no ordinary grocery store—it's as much an experience as it is a destination. Part restaurant, part gourmet market, it's an extraordinary place. Of course you can pick up everything you need for a meal at home, but if you're not in the mood to cook for yourself, you'll become spoiled by the Oki Sushi bar, the sandwich deli, and the pizzeria. Mariano's does what few other grocers have done: orchestrate a memorable experience for its customers and add entertainment value that transforms the chore of @danuslan and on Facebook at facebook.com/danieluslan. Follow me on Twitter at grocery shopping into something pleasant and even relaxing (there's a pianist performing live!). What's ABOVE: On top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere for Chicago House Clicquot in the Sky. Joining me at Willis Tower are Moët Hennessy's Joe Nemcheck and Mary Chung, and Veuve Clicquot's Anna Kimball. LEFT: Celebrating with Nina Mariano at the opening of a brand-new Mariano's Fresh Market in Palatine. What a party! more, it has dieticians, nutritional services, and cooking classes free of charge to help you shop for healthy options. Then again, you might be tempted to just go straight for the rotisserie chicken, as I did. Whatever you choose, you'll be most impressed by the team. Greg Vengrin, the store director at Lake Shore East, is a man who clearly loves his job. He leads a team of people who take time to get to know the customers, their names, and what they like, even if it means checking the back room for a tucked-away pineapple. DAN USLAN PS: People are always asking me about The List. To nominate someone, e-mail thelist@michiganavemag.com or follow @michiganavemag on Twitter and tweet your submission with hashtag #MATheList. 32 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF SCHEAR/WIREIMAGE (COMMON)