Ehh I’ve noticed this too not with Eataly specific, but just anytime there are lines in LA. It’s all about being “in” with social media.
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Glad to hear the pricing is in line with other Eatly locations! It’s higher than most but not outrageous like some other places that aren’t nearly as good!
–Dommy!
FOMO is real.
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I think appreciation of food, at least by us here at FTC is a very small % population.
Most “foodies” do not care about speciality products or the different regional foods within a cuisine. People would rather eat food that looks great on instagram instead of some real stuff. I hate this new trend of outrageous stoner-fusion food for instagram. HATE it. All these new food halls, most of Smorgasburg, 626 Night Market, really disgust me. I feel horrible saying that and I understand people want to make a living, but honestly it’s getting out of hand.
I am so glad Eataly is here. I want to taste the speciality products and everything it has to offer.
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My non-review: I now work across the street (granted it’s a big street) from the mall so I wandered over today to check out the Eataly scene. Line to get in was about 40 people at 2:30pm so I did not join it. Maybe next week. By I’m still heartened to see that many people willing to wait in line to get into a food market, regardless of whether they’re curious tourists or serious Italian food lovers. and in general I’m encouraged by how many people were at the mall at that time, whether drawn there by Eataly or not.
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One of the ways unfortunately that Eataly Century City is badly designed is that there are not separate entrances for the groceries and wine.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am not going to wait in line to walk in and buy wine or produce. It is especially stupid with wine. They have all that expensive inventory sitting there and the Instagram hordes aren’t going to buy it and people like me who are serious about wine are not going to wait in line to go in and pick up a case of wine. At least at the Eataly on 23rd Street in NYC, the wine store is separate, with a separate entrance. Also, while I have been at the 23rd Street store when it was uncomfortably crowded, at least if you were willing to brave the jostling crowds, you could get in and do your grocery shopping and, of course, since the tourist hordes were just buying gelato at the gelato station or whatever, even if the store was really crowded, there wasn’t an issue at the grocery checkout line.
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I agree the design is stupid. I also noticed long lines at the cash register before 11am. Not good. I think things will settle down in a few weeks though. I don’t imagine Century City is much of a tourist destination?
you are joking…
Not at all. What’s the attraction besides Eataly? I’ve only lived in LA for a year and a half so bare with me.
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Alas, now that we have an Eataly, I can see the tour busses dropping off the hordes at the Mall, just as they do at the Grove and at the Farmer’s Market where you cannot park in summer.
As down as I get about Gelson’s and their crappy wine selection and their failure to stock Thai chilies and all Gelson’s other deficiencies, I’m actually feeling a bit sorry for the chain. I can’t see how they are going to stay in business when one can no longer easily park at the mall. The tourists coming for the day will brave the parking. Those who want a few groceries will not. For better or worse, it just may no longer make sense to have a Gelson’s at that mall.
Sadly - I think places like the Grove and CC Mall ARE where a lot of tourists go.
Nobody counts shit like “mall visits” so any list is going to say Griffith Park Observatory is a top tourist destination. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts that more tourists go to the Grove than the fucking Getty.
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I think what you say is totally true. But those people also pay the bills, in some ways (if they’re actually purchasing stuff and not just snapping selfies). It’s sort of like manual transmissions in cars. Journalists love to bemoan the decline of manual transmissions, but nobody (really) buys those anymore. I figure it’s just the price of admission and consider myself lucky if the products at least match the hype.
All the super “prestigious” boutiques located in one (relatively) convenient location? Being seen by other ostentatious 1%'ers? Honestly, the people there on a Friday night are pulled so tight that you would’ve thought that a tornado had come through. And luxury goods here (incl real estate and cars) are super cheap compared to other countries… The ads at the mall that include Mandarin Chinese are presumably not aimed at the non-tourist…
What’s nice, though, is that I actually saw people walking around at night in LA. A lot of people. How often do you see that?
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Does Gelson’s not have any reserved parking? I think they did in the old incarnation of the mall.
As a shopper aficionado, Century City mall isn’t really that great for high end shopping. I’m not saying chinese tourists don’t go to CC mall. They might be, I have no idea. But as someone who appreciates high end brands, CC mall isn’t the place. Even the dreadful (for now) Beverly Center has a lot more high end boutiques and recognizable brands that rich tourists seek out than CC.
No reserved parking for Gelson’s, only valet, which is free with $25 minimum purchase, although it is not really free because you feel compelled to tip. Even apart from money, I can’t be bothered with valet parking when I just want to run in somewhere and pick up groceries. I’m not a huge Whole Foods’ person, but I’m guessing I am going to be shopping at Whole Foods more frequently in the future now that Gelson’s has become a hassle. And I do do Gelson’s through Instacart (although I have no idea which Gelson’s Instacart brings the food from).
I’ll take your word for it b/c I’m not much of a shopper. I usually assume that fancy-looking places that have names I don’t recognize are meant for those who are REALLY in the know about super expensive brands. 
Not sure what “reserved” means, but Gelson’s most definitely has a Gelson’s-only parking section on the P1 level. During peak hrs, though, it’s virtually useless b/c it’s so small.
Haha! I appraised that building years ago.
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Gelson’s has a small parking area near the north entrance to the store where I used to always be able to find a space, but now no longer, although I have started parking in the “green car” spaces in that area because I am sorry, but I find it ridiculous that the spaces are now intended for owners of green cars rather than for Gelson’s shoppers. Gelson’s also used to have a parking area near the south entrance to the store, which I think was valet during the day, but self-serve at night, but I believe that parking area is now all valet.
I’ve also been known to drag my Gelson’s shopping cart wherever in the underground parking, although usually I am in a hurry and want to park near Gelson’s and not have to traverse the parking with my shopping cart.
Cross your fingers this location doesn’t follow in the path of the Costa Mesa location. It went from good to inedible within a couple months. The chicken resembled pale pork floss.