MovieChat Forums > Guy's Grocery Games (2013) Discussion > Is this a real grocery store?

Is this a real grocery store?


Like how do they get the food and what happens to it

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The first season (or two?) was filmed in a real supermarket here in the LA area, then they moved production to a specially built 'store' of their own. You can tell the older from the newer episodes by looking at things like how wide the aisles are--they're wider in the newer episodes.

The food is donated to charities--Guy mentions that in a little snippet shown right before each episode airs.


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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Yes I know they donate the food but it would not make and sense to keep a grocery set fully stocked. How much does this cost them? They're not donating everything.

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Well, you need to keep in mind that they probably film several episodes with one 'stocking' of the set, and then they only need to donate the perishables before coming back to film the next set of episodes. The frozen food and all the extraneous supermarket stuff--like detergent, paper towels and household gadgets--aren't going to spoil, so they can just sit there, and then be donated at the end of the season.


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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I was thinking the same thing, big surprise, right Grace! I'm sure all of the non-perishable items remain until the end of the season. The perishables get immediately donated.

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Someday...someday...dmrmlr-1...we've got to meet in person! 

As for the food, I do think they film a few episodes per 'batch' of stocking the store. We see each episode as a discrete unit but, in reality, shows like this typically film several episodes in a block of time. So they're really only dealing with the fresh produce and stuff that's left after filming a few episodes, and that gets donated.


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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Grace, are you sure you weren't born in Texas? I swear we're long lost sisters!

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Nope, definitely born right here in LA--my birth certificate says so! But as you know I lived in Dallas for a long time...hmmmmm...I don't know... 

You know what's funny? Sometimes I'm actually afraid someone is going to accuse us of being sock puppets! (Just in case you don't know, that's where a person creates other accounts so they can chime in with their approval on posts the 'other' one made.) I mean, we're *SO* alike it's spooky! 


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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Ha, ha! Well our one difference is that you're vegetarian and I'm not! I love a nicely grilled steak. I'm not a rabid carnivore though, many nights our dinner is a big salad and bread!

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I USED to love a big grilled steak, too. In fact, grilling was like our family 'thing' that we all loved. So when we went veg, it was like...um...WHAT DO WE DO NOW?! 

It's been so long that sometimes it's hard to remember--and painful, actually--how difficult it was back in the late '80s in Texas to be vegetarian. But we did it. Things are definitely a lot easier now, with the plethora of fake 'meat' products--they're so good, I ROUTINELY have non-veg friends/relatives ask, "I thought you were vegetarian...? " when eating at my house. 

By the way, my reason for going veg in the first place was the cruelty involved in the meat industry. Once I saw the facts--including horrific, disgusting undercover video at places like factory farms and slaughterhouses--I just couldn't continue participating in that, even passively as a consumer. I told everyone that I was a hypocrite, saying that I LOVED animals--meaning my pets, and other 'cute' animals--yet participating in heinous abuse, which is what the meat industry is. And then I stopped being a hypocrite! 


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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I'm from Texas, so I can definitely sympathize. There are steakhouses and bbq places all around you! I admire you so much for sticking up for what you believe in.

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Thanks.  It's such a world of difference now, not only because I'm back home in California, but also because it's 2015. From the former, there's just the reality that there are many, MANY vegans/vegetarians here, and tons of options, such as fast-food vegan restaurants, or entire vegan/vegetarian menus at regular restaurants. From the latter, we have such a plethora of amazing products to choose from now that we didn't have 10, 20, 25 years ago. Something I really missed was bacon. I LOVED bacon. Well, Morningstar Farms makes a fake bacon that makes the house smell JUST LIKE real bacon, and it's awesome in a BLT sandwich. 


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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

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I would hope they don't actually stock things like detergent and paper towels. Knowing full well that nobody will ever use those things in their dish, it seems like a waste.

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Also all the non food items may be provided by the manufacturers just to get it on TV.

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The first season was.

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