No Frills — Back to That

The No Frills by my house is a couple minutes of walking away. I go there on my way home from work or on Saturday mornings or Sunday nights. It's staffed with middle aged ladies and teenagers and there's usually a security guard by the main entrance. From the street, it's not immediately clear how to get in but once you know to walk through this narrow alleyway, you're indoctrinated into the No Frills fan club. Every person who has been in there agrees it's the best No Frills in the city. Maybe even the best grocery store. When I tell other people where I live, a lot of them ask "near the No Frills?" and we bond over our mutual love for it. They're jealous and I like that. When in other stores, I scoff at how expensive everything is in comparison. I've saved so much money just by being too lazy to go anywhere else.

I love how completely bored and content everyone seems to be when they're working. I love how there's a lady who always stacks your items perfectly so they're easy to put in bags. I haven't gotten their points card yet but it's only a matter of time before I cave and they turn my Optimum card into a PC points/Optimum card. I like how much space there is and how they add more products but it only seems to get bigger to accommodate. The route I take changes constantly depending on where they've moved the aisles. Every trip feels different and exactly the same.

Everyone at the No Frills is having a great time. I’ve never seen anyone get upset or annoyed there. Maybe some people are impatient to get their shopping done so that they can go home and make dinner but for the most part, people are chilling. They have no reason to be bothered there because they’re getting great food for a price lower than anywhere else in the city. They can find pretty much any ingredient they need in one location. And they keep bringing in new foods for everyone. We’re all looking at each other like “How did we get so lucky?” and “When will they figure out that they’re undercharging us for this?” There is something special about this No Frills. I go at least once a week and every time I catch someone’s eyes and they’re twinkling. It’s impossible to be upset there.

As it grows and they redesign the aisles to include more organic food and sugar free cookies, I worry about it losing its specialness. Having lived here for three years, this No Frills is one of the only businesses I don't get cynical about anymore. This No Frills is like a second home to me.