Oak Lawn Mariano's Scores High-Ranking Reviews, 'Very Positive' Reception

Images via Yelp.

More than six months since Mariano’s in Oak Lawn held its grand opening at 111th Street and Cicero Avenue, a representative from the grocery store said it has had a “very positive” reception in the village.

Amanda Puck, director of strategic brand development, answered a few questions to satisfy our curiosity and inform locals about the state of Mariano’s Oak Lawn affairs — as much as she was able to share with the public.

The Q&A

Q1: How many people have been hired at Mariano’s Oak Lawn? Are there currently any open positions?

Mariano’s Oak Lawn currently has roughly 315 employees and is now hiring for positions in Oki Sushi, the meat and seafood department, hot foods, overnight replenishment, the deli and cashiers/baggers. Interested parties can find more information at http://www.marianos.com/careers.

Q2: Can you comment on how business or sales at this location compare to other Mariano’s in the Chicago area?

We do not make public sales numbers on individual Mariano’s stores. However, we are pleased to say that we continue to see a very positive reception from the Oak Lawn community.

Q3: Has Mariano’s Oak Lawn worked with any local community groups or organizations since opening, such as business collaborations, sponsorships or charities?

Yes. To celebrate coming to Oak Lawn, the Roundy’s Foundation made donations to three local organizations—see details below.

1. Park Lawn charity, an organization which serves and cares for people with developmental disabilities.
2. The Food Pantry of Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ which provides emergency food for families and individuals in Oak Lawn.
3. The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, A four-year magnet school which enrolls students from across the city and integrates academic and agricultural programs, molding the future of agriculture in the United States.

Q4: Do you have a record or estimate of how many people visit Mariano’s Oak Lawn daily?

We do not make public Mariano’s stores customer counts but opening in Oak Lawn has been a very welcoming experience. We take pride in the loyal customer base we have been able to build.

Q5: Any other information you think Oak Lawn Patch readers might be interested to note about their new Mariano’s?

Mariano’s Oak Lawn features signature Mariano’s experiences including Bella cupcakes, fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, house-made Italian sausage and pub burgers. The store also features:

• Vero authentic Italian coffee and gelato shop features premium coffees fresh-roasted locally and homemade gelato
• Todds BBQ offers daily smoked brisket, ribs, sausage and more – with a variety of sauces to fit your taste.
• Seafood features freshest premium items, many brought from shore to store within 24 hours
• Floral department showcases over 30 varieties of cut flower bunches and unique, recipe-specific bouquets plus floral arrangements from in-house designers
• Full-service pharmacy that features friendly and accessible pharmacists, immunization services, the Mariano’s Prescription Savings Club and the unique PharmaSmart Blood Pressure machine
  

The Reviews:

• Do you like Mariano’s Oak Lawn? Tell us in the comments.
  

The Mariano’s at 11000 South Cicero Ave. has 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp, with only one single-star review, as of press time.

Courtney O. of Oak Forest awarded 5 stars to the grocery store.

“Okay, so I’m here to proudly jump on the Mariano’s bandwagon. I have to admit my expectations were LOW & honestly...I was most pleasantly surprised. Forgetting for a moment that it seems like the biggest store ever, a few things really stand out for me: 1. Variety 2. Price 3. Service 4. Aisles.”

Riley S. of Oak Brook gave 2 stars.

“I drive a little further to shop here. Overall, I like the shopping experience but the produce buyers need to get on their game. This store should not be running out of things like cilantro, gold potatoes, green onions, Brussel sprouts and jicama. ”

Emily K. of Oak Lawn gave 5 stars.

“LOVE LOVE LOVE! The staff is very friendly, I walked in and was greeted by smiling faces (always a plus!) Overall the store is great! they have a ton of different brands, foods and just the selection is good. Their juice is freshly squeezed (got to try it!) I definitely recommend it.”

Though this Mariano’s doesn’t have it’s own full Facebook page, an automatically generated page, based on Facebook user interests, has 489 likes, 4,567 visits and ranking of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This Mariano’s has also earned 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google, with 13 reviews.

Marty Schleder gave 4 stars.

“My only complaint is when you want to sit down and eat people bring their shopping carts in the eating area. They have a sign Do not bring carts in eating area yet people still do it anyway. It is a small area because they have plants growing around the area. Either enforce the rule or establish a bigger eating area.”

Janice Temple gave 5 stars.

“This is a new kind of grocery shopping experience. The piano player at the front door is an unexpected surprise. It sets the atmosphere to relax and enjoy exploring the myriads of food selections. The employees are extremely helpful in locating items on your shopping list. The store is rather large so definitely needed help to find all of my ingredients.”

Sharmalee A. Burnett also gave 5 stars.

“Love! One of MANY favorites is the fresh squeezed OJ.”

Do you agree with the reviews? What would you want to ask a Mariano’s representative?

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