Store

An escalator inside the store, which is scheduled to open in June of 2008, will transport shoppers from the Third Avenue entrance to the 18,000-square-foot basement, where more than 40 percent of the space will be devoted to takeout options such as hot food tables, a salad bar, a made-to-order sandwich counter and (hallelujah!) a taquería.

A parking lot will be as absent at the green-minded Kress as the Sonics' defense is at KeyArena. Instead, shoppers will be encouraged to frequent the store on foot and buy only what they can carry. Kress also plans to form partnerships with local purveyors to carry their goods at the store.

Kress will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the store promises to give South Lake Union's Whole Foods Market a run for its money when it comes to lunchtime grab-and-go. Stay tuned for more information.