Alright. I know this is weird, but I love discount grocery stores. Like seriously, I could spend an…read morehour or two checking 'em out and it would probably be the highlight of that day. There is something so fun about finding a great deal, and perhaps discount groceries are particularly thrilling right now as they are something one really needs, so there is little guilt about the spending.
I found Nickey's on Facebook a while back, but they don't open until 10am, which is just so late for me (I like to get my weekend grocery shopping done first thing!), and it never happened to work out. Well, I finally stopped by last weekend. The name is no joke, as they are truly a warehouse, surrounded by a bunch of other SLC warehouses. Keep your eye out for their colorful truck and you won't miss 'em.
Inside, you will first enter an odd lobby with a couch and TV, then up some stairs to the actual store. It is not cute, and parts of it are a bit of a mess (the walk in freezer is straight up cringey), but if willing to look, you will find some treasures.
I was quickly greeted by a nice woman who asked if I have dogs and directed me to some dog treats they had on sale. Why yes I do, and you best bet I snatched up that 4lb box for $6. Next, I headed to the freezer, as I knew they carry local Soup Kitchen soups and stews. I checked the ingredients and they are clean, and you know they are serving the exact same thing at the restaurant, so why not enjoy in the comfort of your home? I also found a 40 oz bag of fresh spinach for $3 (still eating leftover creamed spinach!), some fancy cheeses for $2.50 a wedge, and a fragrant package of specialty on-stem oregano.
Other exciting finds include Callebaut chocolate: Crispearls and Ruby Couverture, and restaurant-supply size jars of various condiments, salad dressings, sauces, etc. I am pretty picky about my meat so didn't check it out, but it is definitely cheap at Nickey's. Need a 25lb bag of turnips? They got you! Canned truffle shavings, pre-cut veggies of all sorts, 50lb of powdered milk, and also some power steering fluid? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! They frequently update their offerings and specials on Facebook, so give them a follow.
I would say at least half the items are priced the same as a grocery store, and while plenty of goods are not expired and undamaged, many others are, so why would you pay the same price here? On the other hand, some stuff is crazy cheap, so you've really just got to go and see what there is to see. That's what makes it fun, right?