With the opening of the downtown QFC on July 31, Kirkland became home to the premier food store in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1956, the local grocery chain has made it its mission to champion the best local food, vendors and farmers. And the new flagship QFC puts this mission on full display.
The 50,000-square-foot grocery store is the first business to open in the Kirkland Urban mixed-use project and offers a highly curated shopping experience for the local community. With a variety of in-store dining options, an extensive grab-and-go selection, a large FitMarket health and wellness department, and an emphasis on local, natural and organic products, the store is perfect for the busy urban family on the go.
No matter how you prefer to shop or which family members will be joining you, the Kirkland Urban QFC has you covered.
For those with kids in tow, be sure to take advantage of the free fruit program offered in the produce section. And afterward, as a reward for being such great shopping partners, they can cool off in the splash pad water feature located just outside the main entrance. For the occasional special treat, you can spoil them with the warm, decadent Q Cookie, which provides the tempting aroma that hits you when you enter the store.
Those with pets at home know how difficult it can be to accommodate them on grocery store trips. What do you do with them if you are walking down to Marina Park and just want to swing into the store for a grab-and-go lunch? Or if you’re on your way home from a hike and don’t want to leave your dog in the car? QFC’s DogSpot house is the perfect solution. The app-connected dog house is lockable, self-sanitizing, camera-monitored and temperature-controlled, providing dogs a safe and comfortable place to wait while their owners shop.
But sometimes the car full of kids and dogs can just be too overwhelming for a trip to the store. That’s when you can place your shopping order for pickup or delivery on the QFC app. At that point, you simply pull into a parking spot and have your groceries loaded into your car by a friendly QFC associate or have them brought directly to your door in as little as one hour.
Local residents have been waiting anxiously for the exceptional Kirkland Urban restaurants to begin service, and that wait is finally over with the opening of QFC. The grocery chain has partnered with Tutta Bella, the local pizzeria offering the Northwest’s first certified authentic Neapolitan pizza. In addition to the wood-fired pizza and a cannoli bar serving fresh Sicilian cannoli to order, Tutta Bella will offer items such as meatball and porchetta sandwiches, meat and vegetarian lasagna, a variety of salads and award-winning tiramisu.
Shoppers can also enjoy a beverage and cheese platter at Q20, QFC’s own public house that was designed to be a friendly and fun gathering spot, with both indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant will offer growler and crowler fills, a frosé machine and eight taps of local rotating handles.
Fresh sushi will be prepared daily, with seasoned rice, crisp sliced vegetables and the freshest seafood available. An exclusive Kirkland Roll will be available, and you can grab packaged sushi to go or have the in-store chefs prepare a custom order just for you.
For those who prefer to cook at home, each department in the store has been curated with products and services to help with your meal solutions. Whether you consider yourself a gourmet chef or a cooking novice, the Kirkland Urban QFC has everything you need to enhance your culinary skills or bring out your inner foodie.
The meat counter is stocked with quality products perfect for summer grilling. The store carries local, grass-fed, all-natural Twin River Angus beef that is raised in farms throughout Washington and Oregon and has no hormones or antibiotics. QFC also offers a wide selection of pre-seasoned, marinated and stuffed meat items that require minimal prep and will make you a hero at your next dinner party. And you can always find the products QFC customers have grown to love, including certified Angus beef, Simple Truth, and local favorites such as Draper Valley chicken and Hempler’s bacon.
In seafood, you will find protein noodles in the fresh case. This new product is made from wild Alaskan pollock and is low in carbs, has 10 grams of protein in every serving, and can be served hot or cold with a variety of sauces. And the Simple Truth Sauté seafood program provides natural, enrobed meal solutions that go from skillet to plate in under 12 minutes.
For everyday essentials as well as new items to keep you up on the latest foodie trends, take a stroll through the grocery aisles. You’d find a highly curated local and specialty assortment, focusing primarily on natural and organic products. The extensive coffee section consists mostly of local, artisan coffees as well as a new, innovative Starbucks signature coffee aisle. And be sure to check out the pet section, with unique specialty food and supplies to help you pamper your furry friend.
If you have not experienced the Kirkland Urban QFC yet, be sure to do so soon. And if you have trepidation about taking the leap from the quaint former store, you can be reassured that you have more than 130 friendly, knowledgeable employees waiting to welcome you and answer any questions you may have. You can even provide anonymous feedback of your ideas and shopping experiences by calling 425.QFC.TALK or texting QFC to 23456.
After several years of planning and preparation, the premier food store of the Pacific Northwest has arrived in our own backyard.
