Is Shopping At Royal Blue Grocery Worth The Texas-Sized Prices?

Somewhere in the (very small) intersection between an urban bodega and the most expensive grocery store in the U.S. lies Royal Blue Grocery, a uniquely luxury convenience store with seven locations — as of this writing — in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. The conceit behind Royal Blue Grocery, as spelled out on its website, is that it's a hyper-local neighborhood hub that stocks goods germane to the wants and needs of those living and working nearby. It's your one-stop spot for a hot lunch or late-night dinner, with a coffee bar and gourmet sandwiches, as well as a bespoke selection of booze and pantry staples. These stores are housed in aesthetically-pleasing, ultra-modern spaces that feature tons of natural lighting ... basically, everything you don't get from a wham-bam shopping trip to 7-Eleven or Aldi, even if that last chain does offer some of the best kitchen sink cookies we've ever had.

If there's one downside to Royal Blue Grocery, to ask at least some denizens of the internet, it's the chain's allegedly sky-high prices. Sure, you expect to pay a premium at a convenience store, as anyone who's had the misfortune to crave a candy bar at a gas station knows, but online comments have a lot to say about the markup at what one sarcastic Reddit commenter called "hipster Circle K." This leads us to conclude that the truth of the matter might be a big, fat "YMMV." It really depends on your budget, your take on what Royal Blue offers, and overall personal preference

Regarding the price tag of basics at Royal Blue Grocery, some shoppers report experiencing sticker shock. "While it worked in a pinch, the cost might make you think twice if you have other options nearby," one Yelp reviewer warned. Yet another commenter complained, "Yeah they have wine, trying to be unique and esoteric...but it is instead overpriced." To be totally clear, quite a few people really like what Royal Blue has to offer and are happy to pay its prices. The Brazos location of Royal Blue Grocery, for instance, sports an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Yelp, and a San Antonio one earned 4.5 stars on the same platform, with many customers calling out friendly staff, the store's wide selection of goods, and its sandwich offerings. This leads us to conclude that most customers of the chain are satisfied, but the ones that aren't seem to be generally most pressed about pricing.

Back on Reddit, a thread debating the tipping options at Royal Blue Grocery evolved into a heated discussion about the store's prices in particular and the practice of tipping in general, leading many to wonder why on Earth you'd ever leave a tip at a convenience store, no matter how cute and tiny. Tipping is seemingly always a hot button issue, especially when it comes to eating at restaurants in other countries. There are those who say that it's not rude to ask a question politely, but many Americans report tipping fatigue from constant requests at drive thrus, service counters, and even certain retailers where it's not always expected, like a high-end convenience store.