Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

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Suffolk 83 said:
^ I have my own concerns with Roche Bros.... I dont think it has really caught on yet. Its never really that busy, especially if you go there non rush hour times. I have gotten some rotten veggies from there and I'd bet the business is off so product turnover is hurting them. Hopefully they can survive for a while until the tower and other new buildings bring in permanent residents.
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Allow me to join the chorus of other folks who are basically saying... are you out of your mind?! I'm in there several times a week for lunch; it's extremely jam-packed at lunchtime.

I know your anecdotal evidence is no stronger than mine--except for the fact that several other folks have now observed how jammed-up it is there at lunchttime.

So, please describe precisely how you think it hasn't caught on yet. Better yet, given that, as far as I can tell, they are doing absolute blockbuster business just at lunchttime alone, please describe with as much explicit detail as possible how they are doing anything other than thriving extravagantly--because unless there is gross mismanagement or dsyfunction behind the scenes, that's the only way I can describe it, based on what I've seen the dozens of times I've been in there.
 
DBM said:
Allow me to join the chorus of other folks who are basically saying... are you out of your mind?! I'm in there several times a week for lunch; it's extremely jam-packed at lunchtime.

I know your anecdotal evidence is no stronger than mine--except for the fact that several other folks have now observed how jammed-up it is there at lunchttime.

So, please describe precisely how you think it hasn't caught on yet. Better yet, given that, as far as I can tell, they are doing absolute blockbuster business just at lunchttime alone, please describe with as much explicit detail as possible how they are doing anything other than thriving extravagantly--because unless there is gross mismanagement or dsyfunction behind the scenes, that's the only way I can describe it, based on what I've seen the dozens of times I've been in there.
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The prepared food section is what's doing great business. Suffolk's anecdote about rotten veggies could also be indicative of an issue relating to the fact that the residences in the area haven't yet reached critical mass. It's perfectly reasonable to believe that both of your experiences are reflective of the general state of the store. Prepared food sales, especially around breakfast and lunch time, are doing exceptionally well (my observation as well) due to the presence of workers in the area. Regular grocery items aren't turning over as much as they should be because there aren't enough people living in the immediate area yet.
 
DBM, we obviously have different perspectives on the crowds there. You are there during its peak times obviously and I'm there during its slow times (which is everything besides the lunch rush downtown) Compared to every other city grocery store in the area, its extremely dead not counting weekday lunches. Trader joes on Boylston, star or shaws in the pru, the stop and shops in Dorchester, shaws in fenway wherever it may be the Roches is DEAD. Its just an observation. You would see it too outside of 1230 on Monday afternoon just saying.
 
I've had pretty good luck with the produce I've bought there, certainly better than what I can usually get at the star markets in cambridge/somerville. The selection is a bit limited, but it seems relatively busy to me even outside of the lunch/commuting hours.
 
I shopped there last nite around 6 pm line snaked thru the market but moved very fast no more than a 6 min wait, just wish the store was bigger and more selections Trader Joes would have been a better fit IMO
 
If you haven't seen it recently they updated the website with floorplans for the penthouses and some renderings of the how the inlaid terraces are going to look at the top of the tower.

http://millenniumtowerboston.com/

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The mech penthouse looks higher there than it's looking in reality.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
The mech penthouse looks higher there than it's looking in reality.
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Not really. The render is accurate to what we are seeing. The "Grand Penthouse" is not actually the top floor. It's the floor below with the 2,000 sf balcony. The MEP floor is above. In the render, you only see the penthouse because of the curtain wall, but behind the curtain wall, that MEP floor is above the penthouse just like you see in the construction photos.

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Photo cred: Beeline, above
 
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Ooh! That makes more sense. I'd thought that the PH5 was two stories.
 
Please light this crown, Millennium. The top of this building needs to glow.
 
Same, it would be a huge missed opportunity if its not. We finally have that peak breaking crown above downtown and its just glass so theres no reason not to.
 
Suffolk 83 said:
DBM, we obviously have different perspectives on the crowds there. You are there during its peak times obviously and I'm there during its slow times (which is everything besides the lunch rush downtown) Compared to every other city grocery store in the area, its extremely dead not counting weekday lunches. Trader joes on Boylston, star or shaws in the pru, the stop and shops in Dorchester, shaws in fenway wherever it may be the Roches is DEAD. Its just an observation. You would see it too outside of 1230 on Monday afternoon just saying.
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Thanks for the detailed clarification and I'm sorry I misinterpreted your initial observations!

Clearly there are two different realities unfolding--1.) they're doing blockbuster lunchtime business for the office worker crowd. 2.) their residential-oriented grocery business isn't quite as sharp as it should be... but it will probably pick up both in volume of patrons and quality as more residents move to DTC, no?

Either way, I suspect the huge lunchttime business has pushed Roche Bros. well past their initial projects for the first two quarters and that, at least in terms of the raw bottom line, they're well outperforming their initial forecasts...
 
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