Sunflower Market

CLOSED?! They closed?! Noooo!
And you didn’t even say goodbye Sunflower.: (
Where am I going to get the dried peapods you got hooked me on? The delicious roasted corn salad? I could cry.
Why Sunflower, why?

they get three stars for having a going out of business sale of 50% off. So I bought a bunch of nuts and other foods like that.
BUT they loose a star for having nasty nasty nasty peanut butter. Who in their right frickin mind has onion parsley peanut butter? This place had like 10 palates of this crap left when the remainder of the store was pretty much at bare bones.
NOTE to potential grocery store owners:
you will go out of business if you try and sell onion parsley peanut butter

Like a cheaper version of Whole Foods without as many choices, but a heck of a lot less people. Me like. And coupons. Me also like.
I was less than impressed with the fresh fruits and veggies section, though. Hoping it was just a bad day, because I’m definitely going to be back.

Shopping at Sunflower Market is like shopping in a Hopper painting. It looks bright, cheery and inviting from the street, but it is cold, lonely and soulless inside. It felt like an Aldi, but with gentle hippie food.
I’m full of metaphors and similes today, so I will also add that Sunflower Market is the bastard child of CVS and your favorite cutesy neighborhood health food store. I miss my cutesy neighborhood fruit-​and-​nuts-​and-​little-​else place, but this isn’t it.
What is with all the bullshit Sunflower Market-​branded stuff? I don’t get it. Are there other SMs? Where? Where do these bags and bags of unsulfured dried mango slices come from? And where are they headed?
There is little advantage to shopping here, save:
1) The slightly lower prices on decent prepared foods. I couldn’t afford to shop the Whole Foods Salad bar without selling my car, but I was able to get a nice big bowl of vegetarian chili for $ 2.50.
2) Easy parking in the lot, on a Tuesday at 2:30 pm.
3) The Red Hen bakery items, which are all tasty (and probably communist sympathizers).
Otherwise, see you in hell, Sunflower Market.

I’m really big on quality over quantity, especially when it comes to my food, which is why I hate dirty, cheap Stanley’s. If you don’t eat the produce from there in about three days, you’ll find soft and moldy veggies and fruit waiting for you in the fridge. Whole Foods has better quality produce, but is especially pricey for those of us who are on a budget. Trader Joe’s, while much cheaper, doesn’t have a large selection of produce and is owned by Aldi, so I question their organic standards and methods. Plus, if you explore their labels carefully, they’re much more lenient with additives and preservatives than Whole Foods.
So, if you’re like me, and determined to eat healthy without breaking the bank, go to Sunflower Market. Sunflower is not only reasonably priced, it’s got a great selection of fresh organic produce (the broccoli never lets me down), and the Nature’s Best line is on par with Whole Food’s 365 brand.
I cook a lot, so I don’t depend on as many prepackaged grocery items, which is why I can do most of my shopping at Sunflower. However, I usually do need to stop by Whole Foods for a «complete» shopping trip. But as other Unilocalers have pointed out, Sunflower is never crowded, so even when I need to make more than one stop, I can be in and out of there in about 30 minutes.
I do worry that the lil’ market isn’t doing too well, because throughout December, there was an awesome $ 20 off orders of $ 75 or more. Yes, that’s right, $ 20 off! You’d never get savings like that at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. I just hope Sunflower is around for the long haul.

Sunflower Market was a great find on my part. The $ 25 off $ 75 or more didn’t hurt, either.
They have a great selection of organic products and fresh produce. I like that when I usually go it isn’t as crowded as the Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods up the street (what a NIGHTMARE). I was also pleasantly surprised to see that they carry my favorite greek yogurt. It’s just about the only place I can find it these days.
The only downside of SM is that it’s limited in it’s selections. There’s not a lot of «unique» items on the shelves like TJ’s and it’s not as vast as Whole Foods. I will say that their prices are better on a lot of stuff, tho.
I just found out that Thursday and Fridays you get extra $$ off your purchase if you bring your own bags. Sweet deal!

UPDATED:
Sniff, sniff, sniff… Sunflower Market has closed. I did manage to stock up on items when they had their 50% off discount.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I decided to try Sunflower Market when we received a $ 25 off coupon in the mail & I noticed that it was close to my apartment. I definitely don’t regret that decision – SM is now my go-​to grocery store!
Like previous Unilocal reviews mentioned, SM has a great selection of organic products & produce, but lacks a decent meat section. But, the shopping experience is INFINITELY better than the zoo that is Trader Joe’s. You can park, navigate aisles, & check-​out in a ½ hour, even on a «busy day» at SM. When you’re on a limited time schedule (the hubby can only watch the newborn for 2 – 3 hours before she has a complete meltdown that can only be solved by the boob), being able to grocery shop for basics in a ½ hour is key!

The existence of Sunflower Market is kind of puzzling to me. We usually go to Trader Joe’s because we prefer the atmosphere, selection, and prices. Whole Foods is way too yuppy and overpriced and not a fun shopping experience, so we don’t even go there anymore. Sunflower is somewhere in between, as other Unilocalers have said.
One reason to shop Sunflower market — they usually have great coupon incentives to get you in there. Most recently it has been $ 5 off $ 20, and we can usually find enough things to get us up to that 20 dollar mark.
Also they did have a pretty amazing produce section, so if you’re one of those people that loves all organic and all local, then Sunflower is the place for you.
Cute check-​out girl, too. ;)

I usually do my shopping at some combination of Trader Joes/​Whole Foods/​Stanleys/​Sunflower located in Lincoln Park’s seventh ring of shopping hell. I probably visit Sunflower the least; today I went and was reminded why.
My biggest qualm with Sunflower is that their stock is sparse, and it appears to be mostly snack/​pre-​made foods. If you want a good deal on some chips & salsa or an Amy’s frozen pizza, I guess this is the place. But if you actually want to cook, chances are you’ll have to stop elsewhere to get all the items on your list.
Their prices are ok, but nothing too amazing. Cheaper than Whole Foods (but what isn’t?), slightly more than Trader Joes. In my opinion, not worth the hassle that comes from only being able to do part of my shopping here.
I will give Sunflower mad props for their sample bounty, especially on the weekends. You could probably go in hungry and leave somewhat satisfied. But is that really a reason to go? Eh, depends on how hungry you are.
EDIT: It’s closed! RIP sub-​standard market and, more tragically, RIP good dumpster pickins.

So I decided to get my produce at Sunflower because they sent me a coupon in the mail. How kind of them. I will be back, with or with out said coupon.
Here’s what I love: the produce section. I have a chronic case of «eye’s bigger than my stomach». I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I can not only weight, but also tag my organic apples. Thus keeping me from over spending. Red Hen supplies all their pastries/​bread.
The lack of any deli counter, or meat department is the only reason for 4 stars and not five.

Since they opened I have been a big fan and I can not sing their praise enough! Their prices are so much better then Whole Foods which has become a very snobby place to shop and not everything they carry is healthy (how did that happen).
I love that everything at Sunflower is healthy, EVERYTHING is picked because it is organic, or not processed and not filled with artificial ingredients. They carry an amazing selection of Amy’s Frozen Organic entrees and they are priced well and its great not to feel guilty about eating those because even if I don’t have time to cook, I can pop something healthy in the microwave.
The BEST DAYS TO SHOP are on Thursdays and Fridays because the they will give you $ 5 off your $ 25 purchase and you get and extra 5 cents if you use their cute sunflower market bags or you can bring your own.
They also have great sushi that you can order to your liking or pick what they have wrapped up to go. The prices are awesome for carryout sushi.

So far, I’ve had some good luck with Sunflower Market. I go here at least twice a week for a quick lunch because it is ridiculously close to my job. I haven’t bought anything in bulk, but I love buying the «U-​Wave-​It» meals or grabbing something from the salad bar.
Price-​wise, I would say that it’s a bit more exspensive than Trader Joe’s, but I’ve found it to be less exspensive than Whole Foods. I don’t mind as much because whatever I buy is usually always fresh and is good quality. I also like that they sell Intelligentsia coffee, so I don’t have to drive to the actual store to get some.
Also, if you work around Sunflower Market, they give you a 5% discount on your food! I’ve had pretty good service there so far and the people that work there are always pleasant.

I was surprised to read all the hatred for Sunflower Market. Please pardon me while I take a moment to review the reviews.
99.9% of reviewers make comparisons to Trader Joe’s. Why??? Because they’re next door? The comparison makes little sense. I agree that Trader Joe’s has great products. But I can’t understand why in most of the reviews TJ’s is mentioned. Then there are the expected (but more accurate) comparisons to Whole Foods. Some refer to Sunflower as corporate… as if Whole Foods isn’t? Whole Foods is definitely as corporate is Supervalu. I’m really wondering whether some of these reviews aren’t written by Whole Foods employees!
Anyway…I like the store very much. It’s not a regular stop, but if I’m looking for healthy or organic, it’s my first choice. They often have a «deal» on Vitamin Water… which we buy a lot of. I will agree that the meat/​poultry selection is not the largest, but in my opinion they make up for it in other areas. The shopping carts are nice and the aisles easy to navigate.
How anybody could enjoy the Whole Foods experience more, I have no idea. To each their own. I take pleasure in easy parking and less crowds. But I guess for some, that would make it an «un-​cool» place to shop if the rest of the bug-​eye be-​speckled LP Trixie chicks and Chads aren’t there shopping, too.

This place definitely did not knock my socks off. It looks big but I found the selection to be rather limited. It is also very close to Trader Joe’s on Clybourn and I will take TJ’s any day in a grocery-​off. The few advantages to shopping at Sunflower are:
–Parking. Big lot that is easy to get in an out of.
–Selection of Applewood Farms products. BEST deli meat ever. There is a lot to choose from here.
–Produce selection. Walking into the veggie fridge is delightful. Makes everything seem fresh even though you might feel a slight chill.
–Huge Cheese selection that is reasonably priced.
Still, Trader Joe’s has me. They have a much better selection of the important things (in MY book) aka wine, beer, prepared foods, frozen foods. Also, the prices are lower due to TJ brand name items. Sure, the aisles are skinny and the clientele may drive you batty but I think it’s worth it. Sunflower is good in a pinch, and cheaper than Whole Foods. I may even go back to see if there is a better product/​stock rotation. In my opinion, Trader Joe’s (which is less than a block away) is the better, cheaper option.

While it is very clean and only has organic products, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought that I would be. I went in last night and I seemed to be one of five people shopping. Their produce section is also lacking. Prices seem just ok, a bit cheaper than Whole Foods, but more expensive than TJ’s.
Oh, and the floor is not level. This may sound strange, but everytime I would let go of my cart, it would run away from me – and move a few feet. It drove me crazy!

Wow, i like it. ok so sunflower is not the worlds most wonderful grocery store. its still nice. why do you yell at whole foods or trader joes and then continue to shop there? ok, come here.
people in whole foods/​trader joes on a sunday: 9 billion.
people in sunflower market on same sunday: 6
including me who is doing her grocery shopping in 15 minutes. good bye!
yes it is corporate, yes it is smaller, yes selection is smaller. but it is cheaper than whole foods. more selection than trader joes and you don’t have to buy 4 pears in a plastic box when you only need one. except why do i have to put stickers on all my fruits? i bought one chile pepper. i printed the sticker. where do i put this big sticker? it was twice the size of my small chile pepper.
if i need to go shopping on the weekend, then i go here. any store is nice when you go on a early weekday morning. but on busy sundays, sunflower makes the happiest situation for me.

I was surprised that I liked this grocer, but then again, I love to find a deal. If you are familiar with Whole (paycheck) Foods prices then you will be pleasantly surprised by the more down to eart costs of frozen foods (brands like Amy’s, Indian food, etc) and a lot of other brands seen at Trader Joes and WF.
There’s a wine section and a nice organic meat section too. Good, fresh bread, but, best of all is the produce.
I’d go back. And oh yea, a big parking lot is a plus ain’t it, city folk?

EDIT 9.07
What Happened to my dear old Sunflower.
Week after week things disappear from the shelf.
every time I go in, something new and basic is always missing.
They took out all the cosmetics and tolietries, and vitamins to pile up a bunch of boxes with dried goods.
It’s really weird. and it sucks.
I tried not to turn my back on you… but I have given up…
I need to go somewhere where I can get basically everything I need in one stop.
This is such a great place to shop. I am very into Sunday afternoon shopping, but you mix that with the interest to shop organic or vegetarian… it can be a nightmare…(IE: Whole Foods)
Until I found Sunflower.
It’s so awesome, they have «almost» everything Whole Foods has
but.
a. cheaper
b. not crowded
c. friendlier
d. more fun
Yes, they don’t have that one cereal we like… but we can make do.
It just stuns me upon pulling up that we get rockstar parking every time and when we leave our over all bill is about 30 dollars cheaper than if we had shopped at whole foods.
In a way it’s sad that there is so much parking. I don’t want to see this place go down. so spread the word!
BONUS — every week coupons in the mail for FREE stuff
and if you are hungry for some new snacks, go on the weekend when in every aisle there are tasty samples out for all to try!

It doesnt thrill me. i find it to be much pricier than Trader Joes and slightly more than whole foods – but lacks the variety of both. I couldnt find half of the stuff that I usually buy, and the produce section was just sad.
I like the prepared foods, but whole foods has them on the salad bar.
If this were in a different neighborhood, one that did not have either Trader Joes or Whole Foods, I probably would be likely to shop here as they do carry many organic and vegetarian products. But for now I’ll stick to my usual stores.

Owned by Supervalu (Albertson’s, Jewel Osco) feels like a mainstream supermarket and layed out like one too. Selection looks like it comes from the usual tree of life/​united natural foods axis of evil. I’ll shop here if I have to, but not of my own will.
I don’t eat processed foods, so I was not taken by their selection. For people who want to live organically but cannot cook, this is probably a good place to pick up all your corporate organics at slightly more reasonable prices than at whole foods. They carry the full complement of Kellog’s stuff (Kashi, Morningstar Farms) General Mills (Cascadian Farms, Muir Glen), and Kraft (Boca). Obviously with economies of scale they can get these things for less.
They have a decent gluten-​free selection, too.