Walk into the Market Place grocery during one of its monthly singles`
nights and it won`t take long to figure out that most of the customers aren`t there to shop-at least not for food.
The first clue is that hardly anybody carries baskets, except for a few shoppers who cram their carts with imported dog food and designer ice cream.
The second clue might be the group of well-dressed lawyers running carrot relays through the produce aisle, or perhaps the gaggle of interior designers playing ball with navel oranges near the frozen-food section.
Customers who play childlike games, mingle in the meat department and chat near the kumquats are in the market for companionship, not calories. For them, the grocery is a welcome alternative to health clubs and fern bars.
Encouraged by a magazine article touting groceries as the ”meet markets” of the `80s, the Market Place, at 521 W. Diversey Pkwy., started throwing monthly singles shopping parties about a year ago for the hordes of neighboring Lincoln Park and Lake View apartment-dwellers.
The events usually run one week night a month from 8 to 10 p.m.
”They`ve gotten out of hand,” said Santhe Stellas, who runs the deli at the Market Place, a family-run grocery that specializes in exotic produce and gourmet items. ”When we started having the parties, we had no idea they would be this popular. We don`t even have room for all the people anymore. They come from all over the city.”
More than 2,000 people of all ages crowded into the store during the most recent party. Most said the grocery is an ideal place to strike up a conversation.
”I can`t believe I never thought of this before,” said Larry Carter, a 24-year-old sales rep. ”You don`t have to use a line like you would at a bar. You can just be yourself.”
”It`s easy, you just ask (fellow customers) a question about something they`re going to buy,” said Dave Bussey, a 26-year-old painting contractor.
”Sometimes it works. . . . But it almost always eases the tension and gets people to open up. If you want to meet someone and you`re going to a singles bar, you`ve got the wrong idea. If you`re looking for a date, head to the grocery store.”
On Nov. 14 and 15, the store will host a fall food celebration for the entire family, with free food samples, cooking demonstrations for adults and fun cooking games for kids. –
