Trolling the Aisles (and Missing the Chaos) at Brand-New Berkeley Bowl West

The just-launched store is roomy, but where are the eccentrics?

Overheard in the organic produce department at the new Berkeley Bowl West (922 Heinz at Eighth St., Berkeley), which opened this morning: "Geez, this place is unnervingly friendly." Maybe it's because shoppers have a wide berth in the 91,000-square-foot space.

A friendly rep is not exactly a hallmark of the original South Berkeley store, which continues to operate. Shopping there can be like navigating an obstacle course, especially in the produce aisles, and checkout lines can be ridiculous. Still, it's got a chaotic neighborhood feel and a cast of eccentric shoppers many find lovable.

Enter the new store, which features pristine aisles clear of carts. When we arrived at 9 a.m., there wasn't a single parking space in the ground-level lot, though one soon opened up. There are more than a hundred spaces underground, so parking may not prove as difficult as it is in South Berkeley.

The Kava Massih-designed aesthetic is familiar: modern lines, high, exposed ceilings, and concrete floors, all jiving with both the loft-district nabe and the no-nonsense retail experience the Bowl is famous for. The new store continues the Bowl's 32-year tradition of sourcing a huge variety of products and selling them at moderate prices. And it has the same indoor farmers' market feel.

Despite the publicity surrounding

Nobody to bump elbows with in the produce aisle

the new store, it felt like a soft opening this morning. At the checkout, there were three cashiers with no line, something practically unheard of at the original. Will Berkeley Bowl West siphon crowds from the original? We couldn't resist taking a look on the way home -- the parking lot at the South Berkeley store was jammed, with Street Spirit-sellers and other hawkers lining the path to the entrance. Business as usual. As longtime shoppers with a fondness for the old place, we secretly kvelled.