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Category: Farmers Market [Edit]
Neighborhood: NorthwestMon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunflower Farmers Market is an awesome store. I'm always amazed by the low prices of the produce, as well as their variety and stock. One of the big reasons why I (and often many people) don't eat as many veggies and fruits as I should is because of price. Sadly, vegetables are usually not exactly cheap compared to junk food and its equivalents. But at Sunflower, I can walk out of there with two bags full of healthy foods for less than $20.
In addition, they have a good selection of vegetarian, organic, and elite-brand food items, most of which look delicious and are priced if not cheaper than elsewhere then at least competitively. Most stuff is also cheaper than Whole Foods (often referred to as Whole Paycheck for a reason). I haven't noticed a significant dip in quality either, but YMMV.
In summary, Sunflower Market is a pretty darn good grocery store, and if I lived closer it would probably be my primary one.
This place will do since I don't have a full-blown Whole Foods near me. The selection of meat is rock solid and cheap but everything else, no dice. The vegi/fruit selection is mediocre at best, The dairy or whatever it's called is sub par. Trust me, don't buy their hippy toilet paper unless you're down for torture, Holy ass grinder!!
3 stars if u get lucky. Enjoy!
I love this Sunflower Market location. I'm a little closer to another location but drive a little out of my way for this location. Why you ask?
- Awesome employees who are super helpful and knowledgeable about products and produce
- Cleaner than the other Sunflower closer to my place (most likely because it's newer, but I still like it)
- Easy to find parking
- Money back for bringing your own bags
- Dirt cheap prices that Safeway (which I love) can't compare too
Only downfall is if you're looking for a "brand" name item, don't go here. I was craving Oreo's and all they had were some unpleasant knock off that I took one bite of and threw away. Not to fret, I still love this location.
Sunflower:
You had what I needed, when I needed it - several times. I looked at other places but you saved the day and I didn't feel like I was getting gyped at the cash register.
Finds at Sunflower
35 stalks of Lucky Bamboo for co-workers
Box of Alba bath salts - I could not find this anywhere else
Dates, dates, dates!
The deli stuff is above average
Crumpets!
Sunflower, I like you a little better each time; however you are still sometimes seriously annoying with your
-Organic spiel (you don't live longer if you eat organic; really. you just pay more; ha ha)
-PC parking (for compact cars; WTF?)
-Recycling BS (buy USED houses/clothing/cars/products if you want to save the earth)
-
Real conversation a couple of weeks ago:
A Hasidic Jew (he was wearing a skull cap and had a beard)…
Read more »
I am so glad that this little market is close to my house. It has everything that I need. One time I asked an employee in the produce section if the papaya was ripe and he picked one up and cut a piece of it off for me to try before I bought any. That was awesome! It can get a little hectic at this location but usually only right after work during the week when everyone is rushing over to grab something yummy for dinner. They also have an ATM and 1st Bank which is handy. The only thing that I am wishing for from Sunflower market is the addition of a huge, fresh salad bar. That would totally make my year!
I'm probably equally as far from this Sunflower as the one on Colorado Blvd., but this one's my favorite. Maybe it's because I like driving through Highlands and hate driving down Colorado? They also have a big parking lot and 1st Bank is inside! Truly one stop shopping.
I love Sunflower because of their wide variety of fresh, inexpensive produce and generic canned stuff.
Some of my favorite items I buy nearly every time:
- Sunflower Market brand bread....smaller, tasty slices so I can eat a sandwich and not feel like I'm carb-loading.
- Their jarred chipotle salsa
- Cans and cans of beans ($1 each!)
- Cheese. Whatever's on sale and by the pound. I can usually get a good hunk of monterey jack for like $2
- Jarred roasted red peppers
- Jasmine rice in bulk...it was a $1 a pound for awhile
- Limes. 5 for $1
- Cilantro. 2 for $1
- Tomatoes....they always have some variety on sale.
They also have a decent selection of ethnic foods, both on little islands in the middle of the store, and in the canned food aisle. As I'm not a big fan of frozen/pre-packaged meals, I can literally get everything I need at Sunflower.
The only thing I dislike is that I always feel like I'm someone's way. This is worse at the Colorado location though.
I want to sing the praises of how much I love this place from the mountaintops! Ok, not really, but you get the point at how excited I am over discovering this place. Like others have said, this place reminds me of Trader Joe's back home sans the 2-buck chuck. I miss TJ's all the time so this will feed my fix.
I don't come here to do all of my shopping. I just come here for certain bulk items, produce, and also items for quick dinners. Their prices on their items are RIDICULOUSLY cheap as compared to places like Whole Foods. They sell a ton of organic goodies for a fraction of the price at WF. Plus, I cannot get over how awesome the bulk section is!! They have a good section of hummus and salsas as well. I discovered artichoke hummus and now I am in LOVE.
The only reason this place gets a star off is the crappy parking lot and crazy crowds. It was quite scary trying to get out of this place.
I would being giving Sunflower 4 stars, because overall I enjoy the store's selection and general pricing, and its proximity to my house (a three minute walk, indeed!).
However, I'm taking a star off for two reasons: 1/2 a star for 9:40 A.M. staffing and 1/2 a star for sell-out-in-first-five-minutes specials of the week, never to be restocked until the sale is over with.
I realize that 9:40 AM on a weekday shouldn't be that busy, and it's not relatively speaking. However, every time I try to dash in quickly before work for one or two things, I inevitably get stuck behind Grandma Johnson who is doing her weekly grocery shopping, or the stay-at-home mom who has half a cart full of organic baby food AND a return. And I just have a can of soup I want to pay for and be on my way. So can't someone... anyone... PLEASE step up to the express lane and help me out?? I just think the express lane should be made available at all times, because it's usually in the "off" hours (I would think) that people just come in for one or two things.
Also, because of my schedule I don't usually make it to the grocery store before the weekend. Sometimes Thursday night on a good week, but even then, there have been firesale items (because Sunflower does have some REALLY good deals semi-frequently) that are totally sold out even after only one day of being on sale. And I will go back each day to check (since like I said I live three minutes away), always to find a still-empty spot where the product should have been. Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see anywhere in their ad that says "While supplies last". And if it does, make it bigger. And if doesn't, please order more stock so that I might be able to get a box of Boca burgers for $2.50, thanks.
Generally speaking, I like Sunflower Market. Their bulk section is decent; they make bread under their own label that doesn't have any HFCS or difficult-to-pronounce ingredients in it, for about $3 a loaf. Their deli counter is nice (you can also get the pre-cut blocks of cheese cut down smaller, if you like) and they have those tiny little cups for coffee to sip on while you shop. Still, there are those few little things that make a big difference to me, and the difference between a 3-Star and 4-Star rating in my (Yelp)book.
This place is handy, but I don't choose to come here unless I have to.
I feel like a lot of the products lie as far as "organic/natural" go. I have read ingredients in a lot of the products, and many of them are natural liars. When the bulk or bakery items say "partially hydrogenated soybean oil" you put it down, stand there a minute thinking about how you have been lied to, and then walk away. Ugh. That makes me mad.
Plus, I have never purchased high quality produce here, as many of the other yelpers have said before me. It seems okay when you get it but then you take it home and it is rotten the next day. Ugh again.
I would just much rather have a Whole Foods here instead. I can't emphasize enough how badly northwest Denver area needs a GOOD grocery store. They are all pretty crappy and all have small square footage with fewer products than stores in the 'burbs.
Sunflower has always impressed me and I appreciate it that they give veggies prominent placement in the center of the store. Maybe they are following Michael Pollan's advice?
This review is not of the store itself, but at Sunflower's management's fast and thorough response to a negative experience I had.
I have always had pretty good experiences at Sunflower, but recently had a slightly negative one. I bought some pork chops that had a flaw (some blue flecks on part of the meat, probably residue from the meat tray) and called the meat department to give them feedback (and, hopefully replacement chops.) Well, the meat department blew me off with a "just was it off, it won't hurt you."
I immediately wrote an email explaining the situation and expressing my disappointment.
The next day I got a lengthy, email from Rany Ong, Director of Meat/Food Service, who explained Sunflower's meat sources, standards and handling policy. The letter was very professional and he apologized for the experience and offered me a gift card as a measure of good faith to restore my confidence.
And the store's manager, Robert, called and spoke with me. He apologized and explained the store's customer service policy and that I should have been offered replacement and that it would have been upgraded. Also, they were planning on reviewing customer service with their staff.
When I went to pick up the card and do a small shop, Robert came out and spoke to me personally. In addition to apologizing again, he chatted with me about Bike to Work Day and its role in the community.
My experience here came on the tail of several bummer experiences at banks/stores, so it was great to see a company going above and beyond in their response to a complaint. I really appreciated it and hope that in the future the standards they promised, will hold true. Given the commitment they demonstrated, I am hopeful.
I've expanded my horizons a bit and now love even more about SFM. I'm about to cancel my Costco membership because I can stock up on staples like chicken broth, beans, nuts, grains, tortillas, bread and eggs for the same price or cheaper. I love their store brand for foo foo things like sundried tomatoes in oil, roasted red peppers, mango chutney (they make a yummy hot version too), even pasta, tomato sauce, salsa and tortilla chips. I've delved deeper into the bulk section, having tried their coffees (strong!), candied ginger, figs, pine nuts, peanut butter-filled pretzels, sesame sticks, quinoa, steel-cut oats and brown and arborio rices...in addition to the walnuts and almonds I always get on sale. I read the weekly ads and stock up on whatever veggies, cheeses, meats and seafood are on sale. Great place to get chicken breasts for under $2/lb, ahi (which I use raw in poke all the time so it's good quality) and salmon for under $7/lb, shrimp for under $4/lb, bacon for under $3/lb and nice cuts of steak (even NY) for under $5/lb. They lowered the prices on their Boar's Head deli stuff and offer fresh rotisserie chickens daily for $4.99. They make their sausages every day and both the chicken and pork come in a huge variety of flavors - these are a staple in the summer for all my BBQ/tailgating needs. I like getting eggs, butter and milk from the local Robinson's Dairy here. With key limes usually 20/$1, my Mexican beers and guacamole are happier. I don't buy much from the natural/organic areas but love everything else about my neighborhood market.
I'm obsessed with Sunflower Market. It's the best thing about living in Denver and especially the… Read more »
I just moved to town and I had done some research on markets in Denver before coming. Seemed Sunflower was going to be a perfect replacement for Henry's in Southern California where I came from. In fact, it was so similar it was almost creepy. Great prices on produce, especially their organic stuff. The meat and seafood department is a bit lacking (like Henry's), especially all the foreign farm-raised color-added fish.
However, I am giving them three stars because they are so damn far away! Couldn't you locate a store a little closer to central Denver? Surely there are enough people in the area to support it. I probably won't shop there because driving down Colorado Blvd. is anxiety-inducing, and the other one is just as far. Sorry, Sunflower. I'd rather pay a dollar or two more and save my sanity by going to Whole Foods and the Esplanade Farmer's Market.
Okay, I get that you are not Trader Joe's. My heart breaks a little every time I go in Sunflower and the employees are not wearing tropical shirts and handing out free cookies and coffee. But I have to buy groceries somewhere and this place is closer and less scary than the King Soopers down the road.
Your produce is good and plentiful, your dairy is a disappointment (why do you have to offer Horizon as the only gallon-sized organic milk? I can't support those guys), and your yogurt has often already expired while on the shelf.
I like your little snackies, even though the habanero cheddar popcorn makes me sneeze, I still buy it every time. I also usually sneak in some of your bulk candy while I'm filling up on bulk grains and legumes (so cheap!).
But PLEASE, if I happen to bring in only two reusable bags and I buy enough food so that I would need four bags, please don't be an ASS and stuff the remaining two bags worth of food into one of your weak paper bags.
Please don't ALWAYS crush my bread/raspberries/eggs underneath two jugs of juice and some olive oil, just because I didn't bring enough bags. Seriously.
Sunflower is a fake all the way.
It's a fake Trader Joe's - only people who haven't spent years shopping at TJs could be confused. Yes, TJs has low prices on their own branded stuff - but when you compare the ingredients of their cheap stuff, they compare very well to higher end natural store brands. Sunflower's compare to generic junk from the mass market chains - so why not just shop at Safeway? Because people believe marketing hype.
Compare prices of the natural and organic brands at Sunflower with Vitamin Cottage. VC beats them on every brand and in some cases by 20-30% difference. It's hype that Sunflower is cheap overall - they're not. In other words, they're also faking giving a damn about their customers by having natural foods - they're just trying to exploit a marketing niche.
What's cheap at Sunflower? Pesticide-ridden produce from South America and other such places with no standards. Is SHOULD be cheap, it's poisoning people. Now compare their ridiculously cheap prices on poisoned produce to the organic produce at Vitamin Cottage or anywhere else (you can't do it at Sunflower because they charge outrageous prices for bruised, tiny fruit and veggies). VC has great prices on all organic produce - what if it is a little more than the scary stuff? Well, you can pay now or pay later in medical bills.
Sunflower is a cynical business built by people without conscience. When Trader Joe's gets here and when people really start comparing prices and quality, this chain will be no more (just like their last venture, Wild Oats).
Best grocery store that poor Denver has to offer. their produce selection is A-mazing. And that's what the brunt of one's diet should be! C'mon! Also, Sunflower sells Boar's Head meats & cheeses, which for my dolla is the most delicious sliced meat.
Compared to my local grocer (un-Safeway) Sunflower wins on merit of produce alone.
Trader Joe's isn't headed this way anytime soon. Whole foods leaves plenty to be desired. I'll be all up on those "silly prices" for my weekly shopping.
There are bargains to be had here.
Here is where they are not: vitamin/supplement aisle, deli counter, frozen food case.
Here is where they are: produce, breads, meats/fishes (sale esp), some dairy items, and bulk.... (be careful, you may be picking up ueber expensive organic bulk by accident that jacks up your price by a lot).
complaints: good bulk is frequently empty. good coffee in bulk is frequently empty. the little middle aged white haired woman who was on the register on day one of this store should have been fired ages ago. Sorry, she is nice, but she is useless.
Once, when the power was out. All of us got our groceries for free. That rocked.
Since Trader Joes just won't come to Colorado for whatever reason, I feed my cravings at Sunflower Market, which I find is basically a Whole Foods meets Trader Joes. Nice, fresh, organic ingredients without the Whole Paycheck prices.
I mainly go for their fruits and veggies...prices seem way better to me than at Safeway, King Soopers, etc. I also loooove their loose-goods section. I don't know what else to call it, but basically being able to get all the grains, rices, lentils, dried fruit, nuts, even honey, etc. in bulk bags, serve yourself sizes, is really convenient. They also have a huge section with vitatmins, supplements, herbal remedies, cleanses, etc..
They also have super friendly staff there. I've had people go out of their way to make sure I get a coupon, or give me recipe ideas and such.
Speak of the devil, I'm off to Sunflower now!
This location isn't quite as nice as the Colorado Boulevard one, and I can't really understand why. It's a nice new shop with nice new fixtures and nice new shelving, etc. But the Highlands location just doesn't have the same selection and I spent more here than the University Plaza Sunflower on basically the same stuff.
I'll keep going to the South shop, this one is not terrible but it's just enough different than the OG one that it's not worth the (for me) more convenient locale.
This market is close, and has awesome prices. It is essentially the same thing as Henry's in San Diego - they must be affiliated in some way, they use the same fonts on signs and everything. All of the produce I got was great, and super cheap.
I found everything a vegetarian would need, and I can't think of anything to complain about.
I have always been a diehard Sunflower fan.
They have pretty damn good sushi, surprisingly enough. Maybe one notch below Whole Foods as far as grocery store sushi goes.
I used to work at the store on Colo Blvd. No gripes.
I don't know what the fuss is about the produce. It's usually pretty danged solid. Yes I've had a bad orange from time to time but the prices are so damn cheap, I can't complain.
I don't know why I'm using "damn" so much in this.
They have Mom's Best cereal too. It's super cheap and they make kiddie cereal thats not terrible for you.
I want to like Sunflower. I really do. When I lived in Boulder I was really excited for them to open and was thoroughly disappointed when they finally did.
Now that I live around the corner from the 38th Ave location, I go in there once a week and end up leaving with 2 items: my bread and my coffee. Their sandwich bread is excellent and all natural ingredients, nothing funky you won't be able to pronounce. Their bulk coffee is nice and only $6.99/lb.
Another plus is their employees are extremely helpful and friendly. I always like that while shopping.
However, everything else is lacking and what they do have isn't really priced any better than King Soopers or Safeway.
When they opened I was psyched. Then I got some not so great produce and laid off for a while. With a 1 year old daughter starting to eat real (non baby) food, I found myself going back to SF more and more, and dare I say I have slowly fallen in love with this store.
I love the fact that they have great prices on organic food, and I have since, or as a result, jumped on that bandwagon in a big way. It just tastes better. I also want my girl to have as few processed foods as possible, and SF helps me accomplish that.
There are some inconsistencies and room for improvement. I was, and remain pretty disappointed with their fresh fish section. Their meat is good though, especially the London broil, and the produce, if chosen carefully and on sale is great. I have been eating a lot more salad and raw food and stuff like organic waffles, etc.
I maybe didn't realize how much I had grown to enjoy SF until I returned to my local, recently refurbished, Safeway, and HATED it and did not want to shop there at all.
SF rocks, and it will hopefully continue to improve. The people that work there are cool. SF is no Whole Foods by any stretch, nor does it cost a Whole paycheck to get some healthy grub...
First off (before i get to the bad stuff), I will say that I am happy a store like this is in this neighborhood. A nice, few short blocks from my house - not only makes it VERY convenient to walk to, but it is also the only large "natural foods" store within 2.5 miles.
Okay, now for the bad part.
First, The prices. Originally said to be 30 to 40% cheaper than Whole Foods and other like minded stores. And even cheaper than "typical" grocery stores
What? Okay, I used to shop at Whole Foods on occasion and while Sunflower is cheaper, it is not 30 to 40% cheaper. I will say that the sale items are definitely good deals. But most things that are not on sale are not that much cheaper than Whole Foods. Vitamin Cottage has Sunflower beat on prices. That was the first disappointing thing about Sunflower.
Second, Sunflower is supposed to be a NATURAL FOODS store, right? That was my understanding. I was sorely disappointed on some of the items they sold in the store. Especially the produce. Yes, they have lots of produce, and most of it looked pretty good. But I was surprised to see that maybe 10% of the produce was organic. That is not much better than a typical grocery store like Safeway or King Soopers. Many other food items that wouldnt fit into the "natural" or "organic" category were also stocked on the shelves. Including many bakery items that looked to be as loaded with crap ingredieants as any "typical" grocery store baked goods (i.e muffins, cakes, etc.)
Yes, they have a deli (and Vitamin Cottage doesnt)... but when you are vegetarian and 80 or 90% of what is available in the deli is meat based... having a deli means very little. How I would love to have a great grocery store that appreciated vegetarians, by having a deli that actually offered plenty of meat free foods.
One, very high point, is A FEW of their bakery items. Their homemade bread is great. (although I think the label said it was from Fort Collins?) It still has their Sunflower brand label. Their honey wheat bread is extremely good. And even better than the taste? It had only 4 or 5 ingredients - none of the icky preservatives and other fillers that larger "standard" bread makers would throw into the bread. Basically, organic wheat flour, yeast, and honey as a sweetener.
Overall, in QUALITY STANDARDS of food items, Vitamin Cottage would put Sunflower to shame. Vitamin Cottage is the only place I feel I can shop without looking at the ingredients list of many items. I trust the products they sell. I trust Sunflower no more than I do Whole Foods. Maybe I was hoping for too much... The quality of Vitamin Cottage with the size and selection of a Wild Oats or a small Whole Foods? That would be perfect. But I was sadly mistaken in its quality of food items and produce. It is basically 2/3's natural foods store, 1/3 standard grocery store.
Will I shop at Sunflower? Of course. It is a nice store... and within a short walking distance. It looks nice inside (although not as glamorous as Whole Foods). It even offers close, up front parking spaces for compact and hybrid vehicles. That is very cool. Although, as typical of Colorado, the majority of the parking lot was still SUV's.
Yes, it is a good store. But it can be much better. Be prepared, that its natural and organic quality standards are NOT Vitamin Cottage, but it is a bit cheaper than Whole Foods and Wild Oats.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
Compared to the Safeway that is the closest grocery to my house, this place rocks. Safeway devotes the entire center section to prepared foods, non-foods, pet foods, etc leaving me to scavenge around the edges for the fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy that we actually eat on a regular basis. Sunflower puts the produce center stage and has a teeny section for those other things. Nice! Prices are reasonable (and sometimes downright cheap). I keep an eye out for very fresh seasonal items and stock up. Sour cream, yogurt and dairy here are great.
Sunflower, if you are reading, I have a couple of suggestions on how to improve an already great store.
1. Try to buy locally more often. I've seen Utah peaches here when Colorado peaches were at their peak.
2. Stock more flours, sugars, etc in bigger bags. The price and size of the baking goods they sell here force me to have to go to safeway to stock up.
Like many of my neighbors, I anxiously awaited the opening of Sunflower Market. I was hoping for Whole Foods and I got the kind of produce you'd expect at 7-11. Seriously, the fruits and veggies go bad within a day of buying them, and they're seriously flawed (and I'm not talking about the organic produce where you expect to see some flaws). It's everything. A few days after the store opened, a friend bought cheese and found that it had mold on it!
We've gotten so much bad produce from this store that we now have a firm rule that we can never buy produce here.
Way, way, way too busy! Hopefully this will die down after the grand opening is long past, but I couldn't find a spot in the parking lot and had to park on a street nearby. Lines were 12 or 13 people deep. However, it's all worth it for the unusual finds and great deals.
I'm a food snob, I'll admit it. It has nothing to do with the taste; I like sustainable farming, grass fed beef, pastured pork- I'm food progressive. Read The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pallon, for the source of most of my opinions on food production. But right now, it's hard to afford to support really sustainable production, so conventional organic is my middle ground, and Sunflower Market offers the best value on organic produce around.
I love the bulk items, though I'd like to see more dried unsulphured fruits. Neither my rats nor I want any sulphur dioxide in our fruit! I treated my rats to organic kale, blueberries, organic dandelion greens, soy yogurt, two kinds of muesli, some Arrowhead Mills Kamut Flakes, some bulk grains, and bought myself some tasty yogurt pretzels for under $25. Nice deli selection, too. Definitely worth the trip- I'll be back, even though it's quite a drive from my house.
This building popped up faster then, well, I almost said it... I did... I thought you guys could handle it, but I just wont say it... Not now, not right at the beginning of the review.
Anyway, this supermarket was really needed in this neighborhood and when I went in to check it out and get some groceries, the checkout lines were huge with about 15 people per line... I definitely was not the only one who was excited to have this quasi organic lifestyle store in the neighborhood.
They pride themselves on their produce, and the truly do have a lot. You don't have to buy organic, and most of the produce looked scrumptious organic or not. Most things are cheaper in Sunflowers than in Whole Foods, Wild Oats and yes, they claim even the other conventional supermarkets...
And guess what, I believe it. Why? Because I was able to buy ORGANIC Rainier cherries... You know, the white and red ones for $2.99/pound. This is the first time I have been able to buy these puppies all year, and believe me, I bought three giant packs.
Sunflowers has its own brand as well as other holistic well-known brands. They sell soy and moo milk, organic, and some full of preservatives. They have lotions, potions, and even crocs.
Just go, you will end up saving something like 40% of what you would normally spend at the other places, and you will feel like you are doing something good and local.
* Star one is for bringing a good supermarket to the area... Now the Yuppies can spend more money
** Give me give me give me star two is for the organic on sale cherries... Which are yummy to my tummy
*** Veggie and fruit heaven star three is for the large amount of produce... Let's try to eat healthy here folks
****Lather it up star four is for the great organic and natural lotions and shmears at a decent price... Good for cracked Colorado skin
Ok, but one HUGE COMPLAINT.... NOTE: There is no phone service inside the supermarket. I find this to be a big no no... How can you call home to ask what they need or the recipe etc... Come on people, common market research here. Otherwise a great place.
Finally!!!!!!!!!!! Part gourmet. Part Farmers Market. Part Vitimin Shop. AND they sell Boars Head Meats. Whole Paycheck eat your heart out!
Much better selection of vegetarian fare than Safeway. Better milk too. I wish they would have more organic produce though.
I'm a big fan of Sunflower Farmer's Market. In fact, I used to find an excuse to cross town to go to their S. Colorado Blvd location, so I was very excited about their latest store in the West Highland neighborhood. Unsurprisingly, the first month or two was packed to the point of annoyance, but it quickly died down.
The best thing about Sunflower Market is their prices. No one else even attempts to compete with Sunflower on price. Their organic section tends to be priced at the same level as conventional produce from Safeway or KS. Their conventional produce is often the cheapest in town by a long shot, beating out even Wal-Mart. Unlike the produce, the packaged food is in the broad category of natural foods, and item for item tends to be lower (or at least the same) as compared to everywhere else in town. The meat and dairy tends to be of high quality and is price competitive with other stores. The Deli and bakery are not as price competitive with the major chains; their items tend to be higher quality, but they do not
The employee staff are extremely friendly and genuinely helpful. Employees are easy to locate and generally have helpful advice in locating item. Best of all, there's a total lack of the snobbery and pretension that you sometimes find in Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage.
Negatives? Well, yes, there are a few.
Sunflower's produce is generally high quality, but the conventional produce is a bit uneven. The organic produce tends to be up to anyone's standards, but I've had conventional produce go bad more quickly than I'd expect. It's not the norm, but it does happen.
Also, for a store that prides itself on its produce department, the organic section is surprisingly limited. 70% of their produce items are conventional. I'm not totally against conventional foods, and do buy some, but I'd prefer to have the balance between conventional and organic closer to 50/50 or more so. Still, their organic section is still more extensive than Safeway, KS, or even Vitamin Cottage, though somewhat smaller that what you'd see at Whole Foods.
Finally, Sunflower is at times inexplicably missing certain items, especially produce. The staff explains that they negotiate directly with farmers for rock-bottom prices, etc, and sometimes they are in between shipments. True, but I'd appreciate at least some staple items always on hand, even I have to (temporarily) pay more for them. I hate having to run to Safeway to pick up that last item because Sunflower was out.
Despite the flaws, I still love Sunflower Market. Their business model brings natural foods to the price conscious consumer -- no one else is doing that right now.
Everyone makes such a big deal out of this place. While better than the local Un safeway or Kings sooper, It's nothing special. The allure of Sunflower is better than in actuality. (I wouldn't mind a whole food opening up 'roun the corner.)
They have boars head meats - (good).
The prepared foods section is lacking - (bad)
The meat looks fresh - (good)
The selection is small - (bad)
As you can see - it's okay - there's still room in the market for someone else.
if you want yummy produce, go to whole foods. if you want crunchy-granola stuff, go to vitamin cottage. if you need some generic stuff that's not going to break the bank, go to king soopers or safeway.
if you need something asap to eat for lunch, or need a bag of frozen peas because you forgot to grab them when you were at the previously mentioned stores, go here.
it's kind of like a wannabe trader joe's, but fails in every aspect. it is semi-cheap, so they get one more star.
Just opened July 11th. A brand new Sunflower Farmers Market in Highlands Garden Village. This Boulder based grocery chain is a welcome addition to my neighborhood! They have a wonderful selection of fresh produce and just about everything else under the sun-flower. Healthy food, competitive prices and very convenient. My wife loves the place so much she practically lives there! I thought I'd give everyone the heads-up about this new location.
Cheap. Fresh. FANTASTIC!! I have surprised most of my friends with my strange love of grocery shopping. The Sunflower has the same quality produce as a natural foods market, but at a fraction of the price. I also am odd in that I stock up on canned goods when I feel the urge. Sunflower has the cheapest and best canned goods ever. Serious silly prices.
Ran in here after working out, and was disappointed at the fact I couldn't find enough variety to actually be able to do my shopping. I ended up going to Safeway afterall. Too bad, as I really prefer to shop at places that purport to have more organic choices.
I like to eat produce from this place so I dont get the scurvy!
I started as an avid fan of Sunflower Farmers Market, loyal to them, and only them. I felt healthy as I perused their selection of vegetables, all natural meats, healthy pastas and canned goods. Then, I was educated on what exactly "natural, grain fed meat" is and where my "healthy vegetables" were originating from. I was appalled! The meat, labeled as "all natural" grain-fed is fed corn (which is what grain means--sounds good to one who doesn't know better) and is raised in a feed lot consisting of over 120,000 head of cattle. Corn is not meant to be fed to cows, and in turn tears their stomachs apart consisting of numerous tests and pain to the cattle. To read more about their "all natural" farming practices, go to http://www.sprol.com/2.... In addition, their vegetables are sources outside of the U. S. originating from other countries where the workers are paid poorly and under terrible working conditions. You would think since Sunflower Farmers Market started in agriculturally rich areas, they would use as many local farmers as possible (and stand by the true name of farmers market). I am angry at Sunflower for deceiving the consumer and not actually focusing on natural, local farming practices. Now I do my shopping at local farmers markets, and Vitamin Cottage (where they purchase only organic, and use local farms or grass-fed, free-range humanely raised meats and free-range poultry. Buyer beware of Horizon Organic, where they also use harmful, inhumane farming practices. I almost threw out my Sunflower reusable bags, and then realized I could just turn them inside out. No part of me wants to support them anymore, even carry their bags. I'm not trying to get people to stop eating meat (as I am a meat eater myself) just asking everyone to educate themselves on where their meat comes from...and vegetables too. For my money, I'd rather know I am buying healthy meat and veggies for a little more than buying silly food at silly prices.
The new Sunflower Market @ Old Elitch is a nice addition to a great neighborhood. It's nice to have a quick stop-in market with fresh veggies, grains, fruits, and ready to eat lunches for those on the go. I tend to hit it mid-day and miss most of the after work rushes I've heard about. I do feel badly for the loss of business this will cause Simple Foods , my old favorite.......and I do try to promote the local little guy biz....but this is just too close with too many options available
I have to say that this location has gone somewhat downhill since the grand opening. The customer service isn't very good and the seafood and meat department are not helpful.
I just came back from the opening of the new Sunflower market near SW plaza in Littleton. This place… Read more »
The store is definitely going through a learning period. Most of the staff seem inexperienced but they are learning (not all the staff are inexperienced). That probably accounts for some of the problems here as far as the long lines and failure to pull shrink from the displays. I still go here for the screaming deals on produce though. The reviewer that has a problem with the flawed produce has to be more selective in what they purchase. If you can't tell that produce isn't fresh, ask somebody. Fruits and veggies don't go bad in a day unless you store them wrong. They were bad before you took them home. If cheese is bad, return it. There are problems with any market and it could be from a number of reasons (suppliers and transportation issues come to mind) but it is nice to have options other than the same ol', same ol'. Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, Wild Oats, Pacific Ocean Marketplace, Avanza, and now Sunflower give me a few more places with a lot more options. Speech over. Should've just said, "great produce specials, but be selective, not everything is fresh". Same speech, more concise. Hasta.
Neighborhood: Southeast
Category: Grocery
Boulder, CO
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Farmers Market
Neighborhood: Southeast
Category: Farmers Market
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