Contest: Submit Your Favorite and Win
Posted by mike | Filed under Community, Links
Despite what you might think, I cook for myself far more often than I go out. No really, in real life, I’m a dedicated home-cook. As you might guess from the nature of my blog, I’m a big supporter of institutions like the East End Food Co-Op, Good Apples, Whole Foods, and all the little markets and farm stands through out the region.
Disclosure: This post was prompted by a request from Giant Eagle to help spread the word about their new Market District location in Robinson. Be sure to keep reading for details on how to win a $25 gift certificate, and be part of the first community-driven FoodBurgh post.
But here’s the rub: I can’t always fit those places into my schedule. Some are too far away for a quick week night stop; many are simply closed by the time I get home from work; and some (notably Good Apples), require a little bit of planning. More often than not, I buy what I need at Giant Eagle—and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I’m just as much a fan of G’Eagle as any of the other places I mentioned. Well, it turns out, they’re opening a new Market District location this weekend, and they’re sponsoring a first-ever FoodBurgh contest to help spread the word.
Giant Eagle is trying to generate buzz. Last week, I was contacted by a marketing consultant for Giant Eagle who was hoping to spread the word about a new Market District location. I’m guessing that most readers have checked out either the Shadyside or Bethel Park examples of the Market District concept. The idea is to create a store targeting foodies and health nuts (and I’m guilty on both counts). It’s hard not to like a store that specifically targets your exact demographic.
How to win a $25 Gift Certificate. Courtesy of Giant Eagle, I have four $25 Giant Eagle gift cards to hand out on this site. To help figure out the winners, I’m collecting contributions for a bit of a collaborative “best restaurants” post. Use the contact form to send me a brief explanation of your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant. All entries are due Saturday, when the new Market District store is slated to open. I’ll round up all the presentable submissions and post here next week.
Some ground rules…
- Submissions must be less than 200 words.
- Entrants should list their name and neighborhood of residence
- All entries must be received by midnight on Sunday, 11/8.
- Winners will be drawn at random and notified via email.
That’s all there is to it. I’ll randomly select 4 winning entries and Giant Eagle will send a gift card to each of them.
All about the new store. Because this little contest is sponsored by Giant Eagle, and their new Market District store, I’ll give you a little background. According to the Post Gazette, the new location has been in the works for some time now. While Market District locations are fairly large stores, this one dwarfs both the others in the area at a whopping 150,000 square feet. It sounds like it will have all sorts of amenities not currently available ab the other stores—including an in-house creamery serving up fresh gelato.
Did I mention they’re allowed to sell beer and wine? It’s true. Until I did some digging, I didn’t even realize that this was the “new store” that has been battling the PLCB for the ability to sell alcohol. The details of how that will work are still a little murky, but I’m definitely intrigued. Having grown up in Ohio, and still traveling back on a regular basis, I can say that the Giant Eagle stores out there tend to have an exception selection of craft beer—so I’m definitely hopeful.
Enter first, then check out the new store. So what are you waiting for, use the contact form to submit your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant. While you’re waiting for your entries to appear on a post to this site, be sure to stop by the new Giant Eagle Market District in Robinson. It’s at least worth heading out there to investigate.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
And, it seems that they’ll be selling beer! One of only 2 Giant Eagles thus far that have gotten licensed by the ever imperious PLCB.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
It’s HUGE. We live right behind Settlers Ridge and have been watching it come together and the past few weeks we’ve been able to drive through the new development. I’m very excited for the Market District since we don’t live close to Whole Foods, etc. but beware: it’s HUGE!! I get tired just looking at it and thinking of doing the weekly grocery shopping! I hope they have maps for the store!
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Thanks for being honest and disclosing that GE asked you to help spread the word. I have seen other bloggers who have not done so…ick!
November 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Jen: I’m glad you appreciate the honesty. I think transparency is extremely valuable, and I try to let my readers know about any circumstances that might impact my comments.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Also it looks like I’ll be attending the VIP opening party! I’ll be sure to post here with some of the results.
November 15th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
It truly is fantastic, but as someone who lives in Robinson, this is my “local” Giant Eagle. Since they appeared to have sent coupons to everyone in the tri-state region, I’ve had to shift to another supermarket until things die down some. They have had to hire people to direct traffic it’s that busy, so consider yourself warned!