9:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday
10:00am - 6:00pm
510-843-6929
2020 Oregon St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
It wasn’t until we moved to our current location that groceries
became such an emphasis here at Berkeley Bowl. They do now, however, make
up a significant part of our store. And like every other department here,
our groceries embody a very distinct philosophy—one which ultimately
makes Berkeley Bowl a store unlike any other. Our goal is to provide the
widest selection of groceries to the widest variety of customers while
always maintaining the lowest, most competitive prices possible. This
means that when you visit Berkeley Bowl you are confronted with something
you simply do not see anywhere else. Throughout our store you’ll
find major name brands amid less known natural and organic ones, together
with gourmet specialty labels and a few local ‘mom and pop’
brands mixed in for good measure. This type of selection applies not only
to the variety of brands we carry, but also to the wide range of products
we offer. That is, in addition to regular everyday groceries we carry
many household items and basic provisions. In our opinion a grocery store
should serve many ends, but first and foremost it should serve the practical
needs of its customers. Furthermore, it need not reflect only the interests
of one type of customer but instead should reflect the diversity of its
surrounding community and all of its customers.
Asian
Foods
Bulk Foods
Cafe Gallery
Dairy
Gourmet Kitchen
Grocery
Health & Beauty
Meat
Produce
Seafood
Wine & Beer
While it may be fairly obvious that we do not follow certain conventions,
it is worth pointing out at least one particular way that Berkeley Bowl
is different from other supermarkets. Although we do receive a majority
of our grocery inventory from major distributors, we at the same time
deal extensively with smaller, independent vendors. This is something
that many of the larger stores do not do. We work with these types of
vendors for several different reasons. For one, many of these companies
are owned and operated locally. Secondly it gives us greater flexibility
both in terms of cost and the variety of products available. The larger
distribution companies may be able to keep their costs down because of
the overall volume they handle, but they must subsequently then be able
to absorb a much wider margin of loss. Smaller vendors, on the other hand,
regularly pass manufacturer’s discounts and other special deals
directly on to us. This allows us to maintain the lowest prices possible
and even lower sale prices whenever the opportunity arises. Local, independent
vendors not only help keep our prices down, but make it easier for us
to tailor our grocery selection to the precise wants and needs of our
customers. We work with vendors specializing in all sorts of eccentric
foods. Typically it is because of them that we are always introducing
new items and, likewise, are able to quickly fill many of the more unusual
customer requests. Our commitment to working with independent vendors
underscores how one major difference in our approach reverberates throughout
our store.
Our immense selection is something
you really have to see to believe. But we would like to highlight a few
points of interest. As mentioned above, we combine major name-brands with
natural, organic, locally produced and specialty items. So, for instance,
Campbell’s soup is joined by Health Valley’s full-line as
well as broths from Pacific and Imagine. Cheerios, Fruit Loops and Grape
Nuts share an aisle with Kashi, Envirokidz, and Barbara’s cereals.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is just a few shelves removed from Annie’s
Homegrown Macaroni & Cheese. Bread from Oroweat and Wonder is delivered
fresh daily as are the many varieties from Alvarado St. and Santa Cruz.
Skippy peanut butter accompanies locals Food Mill and Living Tree and
their full lines of nut butters. Knudsen’s vast assortment of juice
peacefully coexists with Ocean Spray, V-8 and Snapple. In with the frozen
foods, Stouffers and Lean Cuisine reside a few doors down from Garden
Burgers, Bocca’s meat alternatives and frozen dinners from the likes
of Gloria’s, Amy’s and Ethnic Gourmet. And the list goes on...
Overall, we feature a particularly strong selection of the better known
natural and organic lines such as Muir Glen, Newman’s Own, Kettle
Chips and Nature’s Best. We also have many gourmet items, again
providing as much selection as possible. For example, we carry chocolate
from both Scharffen Berger, manufactured right here in Berkeley, and Michel
Cluizel, imported all the way from France. Throughout our store you’ll
also find a variety of terrific products under our own Berkeley Bowl label.
The private label enables us to package certain products, the same quality
as their brand-name counterparts, at a much lower cost. Our apple juice,
tortilla chips and olive oils are among our most popular items.
We realize many folks are caught
off guard when shopping at Berkeley Bowl. For some there are too many
items they don't recognize while others are bothered that certain common
brands are conspicuously absent. When trying to strike a balance between
polar opposites there are sure to be skeptics. But it really is our goal
to maintain a positive balance for all of our patrons. If there is something
you think we really should have let us know. Even when we can't give new
products permanent homes right away we can sometimes make a special order
just for you. Stop by customer service for details. Also, be sure to check
out our Monthly Specials page and see all of our current deals. And once
again thank you for shopping Berkeley Bowl.
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