CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s own Heinen’s Grocery Store has been named as one of the best grocery stores in the country by Consumer Reports.
Heinen’s ranked third, collecting 89 points out of a possible 100 with tops marks in produce and customer service, according to the report released on April 16.
The report polled 75,000 Consumer Reports members who rated grocers they shop at most often. Participants in the survey grocers based on 13 criteria, including price, food quality, variety, customer service, healthy offerings, local food selection and cleanliness.
The restaurant was founded in 1929 by local butcher Joe Heinen. Since then, the store has grown to 23 locations with 19 stores in the suburbs of Cleveland and four in Chicago.
Among the Heinen’s grocery stores located in the Greater Cleveland area, is the one located inside the historic Cleveland Trust Rotunda Building, located on the corner of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue. Since 2015, the grocery store has called it home while maintaining the architecture from the past while showcasing groceries and delicious eats of the present.
Residents who visit the Rotunda are awed by its 20 century grandeur, any they're not the only ones. In July, a Hamilton cast member stumbled upon the grocery store while performing in Cleveland.
For Nik Walker, who plays Aaron Burr in the hit musical Hamilton, it was finding a "hidden" gem right in the heart of the city that made him realize how awesome Cleveland is.
"Every town has got their secrets, and you got this strange tourist coming in and doing a strange show and you don't want to tell him about the town's secrets...," he said in a deadpan tone in a Twitter video he filmed while walking around inside the iconic building. "I get that. That's to be expected."
He said he was shocked that not a single Clevelander told him about the spectacular "glory" of Heinen's.
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