Every week I make the long trek over the tide flats and up the hill to Twin Lakes/Federal Way. It's an enjoyable drive filled with sawmills, acres of new cars, scrap heaps and landscaping supplies. It's a hell of a lot better than strip malls and fast food joints if you go the I-5 route.
As fate would have it, I recently had to make a stop close to the Federal Way Costco - where I soon found myself winding along SW Campus Drive. That's when I saw it - WinCo Foods. For years my sister has been singing the praises of WinCo Foods. She bragged about the good deals and huge selection. So, of course, I was curious. And well, it's kind of my job - so here I am.
I can't believe I went this long without knowing WinCo Foods existed. It probably had something to do with the fact it's in Federal Way, and much like Spanaway, Parkland, Ocean Shores and Auburn, etc., I usually try to avoid going to these sorts of places. The irony and flip side of my snotty attitude is that it almost always backfires on me - because clearly I'm destined to find little jewels like WinCo.
WinCo (which stands for Winning Company) Foods was founded in 1967 by opening its first store in Boise, Idaho. It now operates over 70 stores in six states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada and Utah) with over 12,000 employees. Again, how did I not know this?
WinCo boast's 90,000-100,000 sq. ft,, with a huge selection of groceries, fresh meat, produce, fresh bakery, gigantic bulk foods and a large deli. Oh, and they're open 24 hours for your convenience. It's like Costco had a baby with Top Foods. No membership required.
My sister has three kids and they are all very athletic. Feeding these food vacuums isn't an easy task. Walking into WinCo made it very clear to me why she shops here - food for miles and families everywhere. I stuck out like a sore thumb while walking around without a basket or cart and taking notes on my phone.
Enough anecdotes and jabber: let's get to the meat of this store. Speaking of meat - there's a lot of it and you better have a good size freezer or a large family. Cheddar, Jack, Colby, Swiss, all your standard cheeses were going for about $2.98 a pound. You won't find any fancy triple crèmes or Manchego, but $2.98 for basic cheese is a score.
Here are a few of the other good deals: Canned tuna in water - .49 cents, Lindsay olives - .98 cents, 32 ounce trail mix by Emerald - $3.98, 32 ounce jar of minced garlic - $2.98, Shasta 12 pack of soda - $2.98, bananas .49 a pound, MD 18 roll toilet paper (excuse me I mean "bath tissue") - $8.78, International Delight coffee creamer - $2.48.
And the deals don't stop.
The most fascinating part of WinCo Foods has to be the bulk section. Holy crap. If it comes in bulk, WinCo seems to have it. Pasta, dried beans, candy, flours, cereal - the list goes on.
Not to be out done by the bulk selection, the wacky varieties of hot dogs, sausage and brats are also impressive.
WinCo is borderline overwhelming - but in a good way. It's clean. The produce and bakery items are fresh. Everything is clearly marked and organized. And, of course, the selection prices are staggering.
WinCo is definitely worth a scoot up to Southside of Federal Way or check out their Puyallup store.
[WinCo Foods #43, 160 SW Campus Drive, Federal Way]
[WinCo Foods #16, 9518 176th St E., Puyallup]
Comments for "WinCo Foods" (5)
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E. M. said on Feb. 24, 2010 at 9:30pm
WinCo Foods is the WORST Employer I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. Are all the other employees on food stamps while working for them too??? Is it normal for the Person In Charge to yell at new employees during their training??? Do the customers at all WinCo stores complain about the management??? Do all employees that don't have to be on food stamps degrade those who are??? Even when they have a job??? Working at WinCo!!! Do all stores hire new employees to avoid paying medical and giving the current employees the hours they need and want??? Do all WinCo's give their buddies more hours and neglect other faithful employees??? Is it common practice in a very high theft store to fire the employees for not catching a thief??? Is it ethically right to fire employees for filing for unemployment when they are only scheduled for 5-18 hours for the week when they were told at hire it is full time??? Do all WinCo's practice bad employment practices or is it just the one in Federal Way, Washington??? This is just the beginning. Sure they have great prices, but even those have been going up and I have seen the prices at Fred Meyers consistently beating WinCo's prices for many items now. The other stores are catching on to the economy and beating WinCo's prices now with great customer service and help to your pocketbook!
Jax said on Feb. 25, 2010 at 10:16am
You sure have a lot of questions there, E.M. And from the sound of them you may want to direct those questions to an attorney - not a food columnist.
Because my own eyes are not buldging out of my head with hatred I can see that the author is highlighting the value WinCo brings and I, for one thank God (or fate, depending on your beliefs) for WinCo! Their store in Moscow, ID literally saved my poverty stricken arse when I was in college with all those sweet deals and massive selection. I'm so happy to learn that they have not 1 but 2 stores in my general area now! Thank you, Ms. Blondin for the reminder as well as the lovely article!
Nelson said on May. 26, 2010 at 8:20pm
It's the laws in your state that protect employees and customers or protect the business. In Utah, businesses get away with writing bad checks to emloyees; sell (worthless) penny stocks at the counter as they are at the same time filing bankruptcy, doctors and church leaders don't loose their license for selling drugs for sex, dentists molest their patients while under sedation, police shoot unarmed people who have not committed a crime, etc, etc, etc. I have been noting these incidents as evidence. In Provo, a police runs down a pedestrian in a crosswalk
(not in line of duty), nothing happens.
If the Winco store is so bad, it will soon feel the consequences as all businesses do. Walmart in Springville, Utah is just as bad and people (such as me) are going to another store. They create their own fate. But the State government is not the same so I would be concerned about issues that are more damning to the people than just a store.
Kevin said on Nov. 09, 2010 at 9:35am
WinCo ... the walmart of food stores. Do a Google search for "Winco good bad"
Denny said on Jun. 08, 2011 at 9:25pm
I love WinCo and think E.M. is a pissed off Fred Meyer employee.
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