General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDoes anyone here remember those cool little "health food" stores in the seventies?
The ones that had homemade things like soap, and lotion....sold vegan sandwiches....and bulk food such as split peas, flour, nutritional yeast, etc?
You would walk in, and the gentle, light smell of sandlewood and patchouli would greet you as you entered?
IF you could....would you shop in one again? This is a serious question, btw--- I am thinking of opening one.
Rorey
(8,445 posts)Tom Rinaldo
(22,911 posts)But some folks might feel more wary of buying bulk food during a pandemic, so there's that.
essme
(1,207 posts)to for a couple more years of savings.
TONS of folks here in a large city in NC are buying bulk products at Whole Foods.
nilram
(2,886 posts)but Ive only passed through there.
The 70s are still alive here in Portland. All are co-ops, but the public can shop at them as well as the members. Members can get a discount, and/or do some work to get additional discounts or privileges. The co-op model ensures interested customers.
Whether or not you go down the co-op path, these are going concerns that could match up to some degree with your expected customer base.
Peoples Food Coop. Very much what you describe. Its been surviving for decades, in spite of being a small store. https://www.peoples.coop/
Food Front is similar, but a larger operation. They had two locations here in town, but had to pull back from their second, smaller one. More of a small grocery. https://foodfront.coop/
Oh, and I just remembered a third oneKnow Thy Food. The newest of the group. Interesting because they had online ordering and catalog sales even before the current crisis. Order pickups a couple days a week, and a market/cafe 6 or 7 days a week. http://knowthyfood.coop/
Good luck!
cilla4progress
(24,714 posts)Love it.
However, do they do carry expensive locally-produced items, which I am a sucker for.
Spent $600 on our first pandemic grocery shopping trip there!
Oh well...I considered it partially a donation to local business and small local producers!
essme
(1,207 posts)Please just be general--- I don't need a town name-
cilla4progress
(24,714 posts)east side of the state.
plimsoll
(1,667 posts)cilla4progress
(24,714 posts)????
essme
(1,207 posts)and not specific. I am so horrified by the number of folks that will willingly give away personal information on sites such as these-
I am surely enjoying what folks are writing- the memories of a bygone era that I am hoping comes back.
RKP5637
(67,084 posts)Demovictory9
(32,419 posts)still shop in them but their are mutli-store corporate owned places now. One is family owned but they have about 10 locations about So. Cali
RockCreek
(739 posts)In a few places, I think. There is at least one in Santa Cruz, CA -- the Herb Room/Food Bin.
GreenPartyVoter
(72,377 posts)essme
(1,207 posts)one of my favorites:
http://www.bandonbythesea.com/mothers/mother.htm
flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)You can't swing a bag of burning sage without hitting on in Eugene, OR. Also can be found in many coastal towns throughout the west coast.
essme
(1,207 posts)to NC-
And I lived there in the '90's (Have you seen Portlandia?)
The MOST fun in Oregon was exploring those little seaside towns-- Bandon is my personal favorite....oh, those fresh Dungeoness crabs!!
Zoonart
(11,828 posts)I fondly remember one in New Hope PA called Touch The Earth. There through the late 70s thru early 90s. It was very community oriented and I met lots of really cool people there.
essme
(1,207 posts)Did you know Margaret Meade spent her youth there? She wrote about it in Blackberry Winter.
New Hope is gorgeous-
Zoonart
(11,828 posts)I lived there for 24 years before moving to New York State. My kids and grands are there. Planning to move back soon as Mr. Retires.
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)We've lost a lot.
GreenPartyVoter
(72,377 posts)To do a large grocery shopping, get clothes, hardware supplies, prescriptions we have to drive a minimum of 20min to a slightly larger town, or 45 to good size towns with more than one store.
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)I'm a suburbanite, so it doesn't affect me much. I still kind of miss the small family shops, though.
Quite a lot fewer grocery stores than there used to be.
kcr
(15,313 posts)I'm very worried about them.
Nictuku
(3,587 posts)badseedboy
(174 posts)Peacetrain
(22,872 posts)that also give that feeling. But I remember one wonderful health food store in the mall no less in Sioux City.. They had this great shredded carrot and raisin sandwich that I make to this day. I would be there every day if you had good coffee too!.. I miss that compaionship of the smaller store. Good Luck!!!!!
demmiblue
(36,816 posts)Yes, I would shop there occasionally.
Xipe Totec
(43,888 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,059 posts)Local Harvest Grocery
3108 Morgan Ford Road in Saint Louis. Open every day, 8 AM-8 PM.
totodeinhere
(13,056 posts)Yes, franchises such as GNC are more prevalent now, but there are a few mom and pop shops left. There is one in my small town actually.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)That is still the smell of the '70's for me...
mopinko
(69,982 posts)or they were before this all happened. i imagine it wont hurt the effort, just make more spaces available when the time comes.
local food/small food is a big thing where i live. we dont call it "the people's republic" for nuthin.
i am having a busy and successful spring, and hoping for a great summer growing food. my peeps are already scarfing up the plants that i am selling. i dont know what is gonna happen this summer, except that people are gonna really need my food.
Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)I just ordered some hull less, organic popcorn for my air popper from the shop I frequented before I moved 2 hours South. Store is in an older house, staff is super friendly, and no shipping charge on the order. They cater to the locals for organic and grass fed products.
Hekate
(90,538 posts)...a patchouli-scented shop such as you describe. I don't know if the latter shop remains since of late years it's gotten so much harder to just stroll for recreation along State Street. However the other 2 cafes are right next to movie theaters my friends and I liked, so we often ate lunch there.
Health food stores such as you describe also still exist. I think it just depends on where you look.
Best of luck!
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)No offense, but Santa Barbara is kinda the heart of yuppie ville.
Small towns around the country have had their commercial bases hollowed out by Walmart incursions.
dameatball
(7,392 posts)33taw
(2,435 posts)Turin_C3PO
(13,896 posts)Its in southwest New Mexico.
essme
(1,207 posts)Love NM--- Last time we drove through, we stopped at one of those tourist trap gift shops (Don't judge, I love those things, and still wear moccasins because of those)...and I bought a fake "branding iron" in the shape of NM. It's still in my living room ....we are in NC-
panader0
(25,816 posts)Turin_C3PO
(13,896 posts)Its not bad for a small town. Were one of the few rural areas that votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
peacebuzzard
(5,145 posts)Silver City is one of those places you have to drive forever to get there. I suppose similar to Santa Rosa. although Santa Rosa is close to the interstate. maybe 20 miles away. Silver City is over 60 miles on desert roads or more I think.
I really like New Mexico. You live in paradise.
SharonClark
(10,014 posts)"health markets" so it must still be popular around here (Des Moines, Iowa).
The ones in my area were crowded out by Whole Foods.
It's a completely different experience.
As a matter of fact I miss the local hardware store where the proprietor could find any sort of weird nail or screw within seconds looking through his little box drawers. I miss the local bakery and butcher butcher. I'm fortunate to live in a small suburban town where people can walk to the main street. I miss the sense of community that these small businesses engendered.
Retrograde
(10,128 posts)lots of herbal extracts, supplements, "essential" oils - more bottles of pills and capsules than most pharmacies. Some bulk grains and beans, but not much in the way of fresh produce, if any. There's still one around, but I haven't been to it in ages.
essme
(1,207 posts)would be a game changer for you?
What about an herb garden in the front where you could pick your own for a "donation?" (or like .50 cents per "bundle"
Retrograde
(10,128 posts)around here with very good produce selections - several notches above Safeway - as well as bulk items like beans and grains. Some even stock herb plants (not that they're hard to grown here - in this Mediterranean climate they grow like weeds). IMHO, one reason a lot of the old-style co-ops are gone is because they won: what they used to specialize in is now mainstream.
My big objection, as I stated in my previous post, is that a lot of them stock more pills and potions than a drugstore. As one of the posters downthread mentions, it's a big profit center, but it's not what I like to see in a so-called health store.
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)essme
(1,207 posts)Do not carry locally made, small batch soaps and lotions-- or local honeys. There is a small shop in Charlotte, NC that has a guy that makes and sells wild mushroom cooking oils, and they are heavenly.
sueunderh
(26 posts)Maine has many of those little health food stores. Food co-ops too.
jalan48
(13,839 posts)musette_sf
(10,198 posts)No sandwiches, but the rest of it is completely like the 70s.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/fremont-natural-foods-healing-fremont
northoftheborder
(7,569 posts)brooklynite
(94,302 posts)Alliepoo
(2,208 posts)Spring Wheat- was in a little alley downtown. I worked as an operator for Ma Bell and loved to walk over for my lunch on warm summer days. It was my first experience with smoothies. My fave was called Venus Vision. It was strawberries, bananas, papaya juice, protein powder and ice all whipped up. It was delicious! Its been many moons ago, but I still remember. And I would adore shopping there again!!!
Maru Kitteh
(28,313 posts)ashredux
(2,598 posts)I was living in LA area...it was on Venture Ave.....the guy has bags and bags of carrots
Small little store....
Liberal In Texas
(13,528 posts)How times have changed.
ashredux
(2,598 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Libertarian type.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,131 posts)I worked at Whole Foods from 2005 to 2010 at their distribution center in Austin and was there when they bought out Wild Oats, which there were forced to sell for anti-trust reasons.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)A person like that seems to be at complete odds with his customer base.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,131 posts)He isn't just libertarian, he's authoritarian. He was infuriated about the Affordable Care Act because he just didn't like being told what to do.
Pre ACA, they had pretty good health insurance EXCEPT it didn't cover mental health. They let employees vote on how the benefits pie was divided up, but because most of the employees worked in the stores, they always voted for a hefty store discount (20%) over mental health benefits. But on the plus side, part time workers got health insurance, it just took them longer to qualify for it. You got coverage once you worked 500 hours. For full timers, that took about 3 months. For part timers, it took closer to 6 months.
All in all, Mackey was a mixed bag. He did some good things and some bad. Since the company has been taken over by Amazon, I think it's changed a lot. Hardly any of my friends still work there.
csziggy
(34,131 posts)Plus emphasizes organic and locally grown produce, meats, and dairy products. They began as a bulk food cop back in the late 1960s and have developed over the years to include a deli. They even have a bulk herb and spices section supplied by local herd growers.
Unfortunately, they attempted an expansion with a second store that was not successful. In order for the option to survive they have sold out to a national food coop. It's too bad, but they had a long run as an independent co-operative.
As it is I shop in a local co-op especially for their (often locally sourced) supplements organic soaps etc.
Trueblue Texan
(2,417 posts)For kefir in one of those. While Im there I also shop for other interesting healthy stuff
CrispyQ
(36,413 posts)It's been gone so long I almost forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.
diane in sf
(3,912 posts)Started tiny in the 70s. Wonderful organic food, bulk all sorts of things from sauerkraut, pasta, fruit, nuts, seaweed, flour, grains, beans. Lots of good brands of packaged food. Local organic produce, dairy, and baked goods. My idea of food heaven. Tho I have to go to other stores for meat.
alwaysinasnit
(5,059 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,546 posts)bhikkhu
(10,711 posts)Which was a really cool little health food store. I'd get lunch there, like soy milk, sprouts, tofu and a loaf of bread. And then mostly I'd buy brown rice, which they had in bulk. The checkers were mostly hippie chicks, lots of dreads and patchouli. I don't know if the store is still there (I moved in '81) but that's the kind of place I'd still shop if we had one where I'm at now.
3Hotdogs
(12,319 posts)the town's shopping district. Or if possible, outside of the shopping district in a 1-off storefront.
marlakay
(11,424 posts)And I do to something close to that. I live about 20 min drive from Ashland, OR co-op and its great. You can buy bulk, organics, local organic bakeries sell to them, farmers, etc
They have great breakfast burritos and dinner ones and you can buy homemade soups and salads.
Not cheap but worth it. I havent shopped there since this started because its so small and always crowded.
Its a great place to meet up with people for coffee or tea and old fashioned bulletin board tells all the things going on.
But the 70s, I use to go to this place that had the best carrot cake....yummm and homemade yogurt...
Response to essme (Original post)
Mosby This message was self-deleted by its author.
colorado_ufo
(5,730 posts)I think they have expanded into other states, as well. Maybe you could help open one? I shop there all the time!
Codeine
(25,586 posts)that sort of thing was the norm; if a consumer wanted vegan or health food products that was their only choice.
But now I can get a wealth of vegan goodies - far more than were ever available in the old health food store model, in fact - at literally any grocery store.
The other stuff at a health food store has never interested me I dont want herbs or vitamins or snake-oil supplements. I dont want those paranoid magazine/flyers warning me about Big Pharma and the New World Order. I dont want a giant poster of a heavily-photoshopped Suzanne Summers greeting me as I walk in the door.
I guess what Im trying to say is that if they really REALLY bring their vegan food A-game I would shop there, but my gut says that its a business model on the way out.
Sandalwood and patchouli still get a thumbs up, though.
Harker
(13,957 posts)I lived in Boulder, Colorado from 1968 til about 2009.
essme
(1,207 posts)Thank you guys so much!
Backseat Driver
(4,379 posts)alwaysinasnit
(5,059 posts)ancianita
(35,926 posts)Best of luck. The grocery biz is tough.
JustAnotherGen
(31,780 posts)Not surprising our county has no whole foods or trader joes out here. I don't think they could compete -or get in with the local region farmers.
tblue37
(65,215 posts)1970s, but it's still got the same "flavor." The fact that it grew so successful indicates that there is a demand, though this is a liberal college town in a red state.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)A tiny store, with a million products in it. And yes, we do show there.
SnowCritter
(809 posts)My wife and I are members, but anyone can shop there. Membership just affords you a monthly discount and a say in what direction the store is going.
It's a great place to get artisan breads, raw grains, and other things that you don't find in a regular grocery store.
IronLionZion
(45,380 posts)there are several local co-ops where people buy membership. And then there's Mom's https://momsorganicmarket.com/
Whole Foods is way too crowded and just a few entitled idiots can ruin the experience for everyone so I've been preferring the smaller stores because they have less people and nicer more sensible people.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Especially right now, it would be a winner imo.
HootieMcBoob
(3,823 posts)Theres a really nice one in Woodstock thats been around for ages called Sunflower thats recently had a big expansion. Also Mother Earth Storehouse in Kingston and Saugerties, NY. We shop in them a lot 😻
Texasgal
(17,037 posts)was like this... I am a native Austinite and I remember checking out all the hippies going in and out. All the produce was in wooden crates.
niyad
(113,029 posts)aikoaiko
(34,161 posts)This is our crunchy hippie health food store in Savannah, GA.
https://brighterdayfoods.com/
Marcuse
(7,442 posts)0nirevets
(391 posts)Please, please, please open one
Blue Owl
(50,238 posts)As a kid/teenager in the 80's, it almost seemed like we were programmed to hate those kind of stores because they didn't carry the brand names, sell all the processed crap, or have the retail flash of the big corporate stores.
Fast forward a few decades -- now they are the coolest gems around and the corporate stores are the uncool thing!
meadowlander
(4,387 posts)I think psychologically most people want their food wrapped in plastic and not scooped out of bins that who knows who has had access to - at least at the moment.
Maybe things will change in the next six months though.
Ferrets are Cool
(21,102 posts)LakeArenal
(28,798 posts)get the red out
(13,460 posts)When I got to college I found the local co-op, and it was just like you described! I am much older and the co-op gradually evolved to start looking like Whole Foods Lite. I cant afford it much now and fell kind of low class compared to a lot of the customers there now. But they have started trying to have some lower cost items now, since their bottom line was going the wrong direction. I have been buying our groceries there during the quarantine though! I feel better eating as much local food as possible, especially meats.
SunSeeker
(51,504 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Some sell through their own URL, others use Amazon and other channels for sales.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)in towns near us and they do a decent business including some from us. There's a more clinical looking one near us too but I highly prefer to do business with the other two. They have a more homey, nurturing and positive vibe IMO.
llmart
(15,532 posts)I read that you are in NC and if you're in an area around Chapel Hill, Charlotte or Asheville it would probably be a success. Not so much if you're in redneck NC areas (you know where they are).
I would definitely shop in one but I'm in an area where we only have a gigantic Whole Foods and since Amazon took them over they don't seem as much fun to shop in any longer.
seltzerwater
(53 posts)I would shop anywhere.
localroger
(3,620 posts)Don't be fooled; their website makes them look a lot slicker than they really are, but the food (served at a linear bar) is as pictured. They also have shelves stuffed with vitamins, nutritional supplements, and exotic food ingredients. They were here in 1992 when we moved to Mandeville and are still in business today. (And suddenly I'm hungry for a Super Sandwich.)
ChazInAz
(2,556 posts)The Food Conspiracy Coop on Tucson's Fourth Avenue!
japple
(9,805 posts)my nutritional supplements, soap, toiletries, CBD oil, and some snacks there. It smells heavenly! They also have salt lamps, herbs, essential oils, a small selection of bulk foods and cooking/baking ingredients. The woman who owns it really knows her stuff and is full of good advice. I wish they had a sandwich counter, but there is a wonderful coffee shop right across the street that sells coffee/tea and has a full menu of warm/cold sandwiches, a full breakfast menu plus home-baked goods.
I told my husband yesterday about the vegetarian Grocery/Deli I loved in my college days in Baltimore. Those tofu/sprouts sandwiches on 7 grain bread were amazing. They had little glass vials of I dont know what that folks would snap and drink right at the checkout counter.
My Texan husband loves his meat and BBQ and I'm trying to introduce more lean protein and vegetarian/raw food options daily. We are very fit (runners), but getting older means each calorie has to count!
The "health" food stores in my area are so focused on pills and supplements and they make my head spin.
jayschool2013
(2,311 posts)It has modernized some in the last several years, but it exists in the same city of 300,000 with Whole Foods, Natural Grocers and a handful of other conglomerate grocery chains.
karynnj
(59,495 posts)Mickju
(1,796 posts)An island where I go to has a natural grocery, and the smell in particular throws me back to time when a few of our moms would go to those old stores, early food co-ops and such.
Unfortunately, the one I went to expanded and began doing a lot of things like basing a lot of its sales on kamboucha and catering to what seemed to be wealthier weekenders and tourists (this is on an island) and now I don't like it as much and frequent it less.
But when it had that throwback feel, I just loved it, and it was a go-to place for things like hard-to-find spices.
democrank
(11,084 posts)there are five such stores, all in reasonable driving times.....one fifteen minutes away. Want honey? Bring your own jar and fill it up. With local honey. Get a bag of oats or a local cheese. Automatic discounts for senior citizens. All are community oriented, all wonderful places. I stay away from the more expensive stuff and purchase mostly staples.
I love the peaceful vibe, the helpful workers, the care and consideration for the community.
woodsprite
(11,902 posts)We love it but I haven't been able to get hubby to part with $100 for a lifetime household membership. Don't know if it's the price or if it's the volunteer hours that scares him off. I think that the price is REALLY reasonable and getting to know other people in our town that we don't usually interact with is a bonus.
They make the absolutely most divine vegan vanilla cream donuts and they have an awesome lunch buffet alongside their grocery store.
That's the first place I'm going to go for lunch when all this crap is over with and we get back to some normalcy!
*** I just checked. Now we're a college town, so that might skew the numbers a bit, but their membership is just over 4000 right now.
Best of luck if you decide to do that! We prefer to shop at shops like that when we go on vacation!
Pisces
(5,599 posts)ahlnord
(91 posts)They never went away here in Minnesota. They have thrived. As well as farmers markets and CSA's (consumer supported agriculture - where you pay for the growing season to support a farmer and receive regular boxes of produce, eggs, honey, etc. directly from a farm). Good luck with your plans!
MuseRider
(34,095 posts)I remember the entire downtown of Lawrence, Kansas smelling like patchouli and sandlewood mixed with leather. I loved those stores, not only were the products lovely and mostly handmade by the store owner sitting out front lacing some leather bag of some kind, the entire vibe was one of welcome.
captain queeg
(10,085 posts)My brother and his wife opened a vegetarian restaurant in Kent OH back in the 70s. I cant remember the name of it right now but I think its still open. It was sort of a post hippie hang out.
Hulk
(6,699 posts)My first real job...$3.00 an hour...eventually went up to $3.50. I was the stockboy at Eastport Plaza's Healthway Foods.
We had it all. The juice bars were at the downtown store and maybe they had one at Lloyd Center? Not sure.
I was the "right hand man". They would even let me train another dude to fill in for me while I ran off to travel the Europe countryside for 10 weeks on my saved up $3000 every summer..1966, '67 and '68. Community college was only $68 a term...and life was good. When I returned from Europe, I would get my job back again.
We carried Loma Linda canned goods, goat milk and a variety of yogurts, Select teas...hundreds in bags or bulk, grains, flours, specialty breads, and a thousand other items. All sorts of oils, 30 varieties of honey....
The real money makers though were the pills. The ladies even got commissions off many of them. I always saw that as a racket, but lots of folks believed in them.
Had a product called "Muscle On"....a powder you mixed up like a malt. I actually put 20 lbs on this 108 pound frame of mine. Then Uncle Sam drafted me and I went off to save Democracy in Vietnam. Infantry fodder. I lasted about 3 months before getting blown up and sent home on a stretcher. I was one of the lucky ones.
Yup...health food store days. Eighteen and not a care in the world. Seventh Day Adventists ran the Loma Linda meatless products. They were pretty tasty if done right.
You triggered a memory I sort of forgot. Thanks.
essme
(1,207 posts)I had a long talk with my sister last night- I think I miss the sixties and seventies- despite the political climate and that gd war (Thank you for your service; I am glad you came home), but because things seemed possible back then. It seemed like maybe the US was on a trajectory to be a true, honest dream.
Now, I feel boxed in, and trapped- and generally unhappy. My husband and I are doing fine financially. Have the house with a picket fence (couldn't make that up), a tiny place in the mountains. I have my masters, and a pretty good job in the school system....but, it feels.....bad. I want a place where I can make people feel good. I want to feel good.
Hulk
(6,699 posts)My folks lived through the Great Depression. It affected their lives from then on....I know it did. It did in the meals we ate, in the pleasure they took in getting a better life...lifting themselves up, and watching their kids do better or great.
But we have been dealing with the climax to the reagan dismantling of the federal government. His infamous bull shit quote of, government IS the problem seems to resonate with these idiots. This jackass in the White House is the climax. He has pretty well, along with the repuKKKe establishment, destroyed or nearly destroyed every government institution we have. Some are on life support.
Then throw in this virus, and we are dealing with every bit as impactful a period as the Great Depression. It's not the same, but it's just as impactful felt around the world. I live in central Mexico, in a World Heritage town. Tourism is gone. My good friends who live in Germany tell me it's the same there. My kids live up in the Pacific Northwest, and they are all bummed and affected. It's going to take generations to recover. Once we get rid of this disaster in the White House, we can either rebuild this country, or confirm that the American Dream is a memory....a story we can tell our grand kids.
Hang in there. It will get better...but it's going to take a loooong time. Forget the "May 1st" garbage. I see this going through the next winter at least. There are bright sides. The air is cleaner, the water is cleaner, and maybe we will all be more grounded in the years to come, and appreciate what we have better.
We'll make the best of this era.
essme
(1,207 posts)my husband-
You aren't in San Miguel are you? I had an apartment there, one block off the Jardin, over a pharmacy-
My wife is from here. We have an apartment on the corner of Mesones and Relox. Have had this place for 15 years now...but spent 8 years of that 50/50 in the Portland Oregon vicinity.
Small world.
SouthernLiberal
(407 posts)nd yes, if I could, I would shop in one again.
tosh
(4,422 posts)I loved my old-style health food store!
The one that I loved most (yes, from the 70s) was actually still in business (different owner) until it suffered a fire about 5 years ago. It still did a good biz but was apparently under-insured and did not rebuild.
Great idea 💡, I think you should do it!
joanbarnes
(1,721 posts)samnsara
(17,604 posts)...the didnt sell prepared foods tho. Lots of bulk items.
Roy Rolling
(6,906 posts)We all remember. Id shop there, but dont rely on people like me. Be competitive with the others and your shop will be successful.
Read Positioning by Ries and Trout for what youre up against. Understanding the marketplace and competition is essential.
Good luck!
3catwoman3
(23,943 posts)...got a lot of our money. I dont know if it is still there, Hippie-dippy psychedelic decor at the time.
They had scrumptious baklava.
essme
(1,207 posts)all of the responses to this thread--- I am surprised at how many people fondly remember these little places-
Amazing!
PWPippinesq
(195 posts)It is a family owned business founded over 30 years ago. It is a favorite place to shop and to run into neighbors also looking for organic produce, staples and home goods. Local products, especially from Maine farmers and creators, are highlighted. Hopefully, when we get to the other side of the pandemic, there will be a shift in priorities and shopping local will make a come back.
DEbluedude
(816 posts)Been doing it for years. Small Mom & Pop, old hippies, It's right around the corner from our gym.
WheelWalker
(8,954 posts)aidbo
(2,328 posts)WheelWalker
(8,954 posts)denvine
(799 posts)I was living in Denver in the 70's. The sandwiches and soups were wonderful. It was a wonderful atmosphere with large plants all over. They also sold health items, but I don't remember bulk food, but it would have fit right in. I would love to have one of those near me.
redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)I loved loved loved that store!
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)Is there a Whole Foods near you? If not, then it might have a chance.
Personally, I loathe the smell of patchouli, it was the only part of the late Sixties and early Seventies that I'm not nostalgic for!
handmade34
(22,756 posts)until I can get moved and open a bigger one... this is my shop out by the road... self service and everyone has been great!!
essme
(1,207 posts)I love it!
Jirel
(2,013 posts)It was bloody sad when it closed down. You could bring in your own bottles to fill up on organic soap, detergent, etc. They had homemade soaps and such, bulk items (and tons of herbs and teas, which is how I found them). They sold handmade clothes and such as well. It was always comforting and relaxing in there. Sadly, they were in an area that was quickly going from bohemian to uber-expensive. The stores that used to be there - the mom & pop cafeteria, an art studio, small restaurants, vintage and used clothing shops, etc. have been mostly replaced by large chains, million dollar condos, and seriously upscale dining.
yardwork
(61,533 posts)jmowreader
(50,528 posts)The reason I will not shop there is one of the longest aisles in the whole store is nothing but homeopathic preparations. I refuse to support any business that maintains more than a trivial amount of homeopathic crap.
There's another store of this nature that opened recently. They only have two bays of homeopathic preparations, but that's enough to keep me the hell out of it for the rest of time.
A health food store with no homeopathic bullshit would draw my business.
Patterson
(1,527 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)It is one thing to be an avid lover of a certain type of business, it something entirely different to make of business of it. The person is thinking about the business aspect, that takes planning and asking/answering tough question.
essme
(1,207 posts)Masters, has a husband who works with grants and loans.....and isn't considering it for years☺but thank you!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)a business, I am not talking about supervising in a business? Working with grants and loans IS NOT RUNNING A BUSINESS.
I hate to sound like an ass on this. My first business failed, even after I increased sales by 100%. There are just so many things that I didn't know.
If your plan is to start a business a few years from now, try to connect with organizations that include businesswomen. Ask plenty questions. Most of the owners will tell you about their failures and successes, that information is valuable If you do that, I promise you that your business plan will be strong when you are ready to go.
My first business failure was used as a guidepost when I started my second. My family was poor, but of my parents children, three own businesses and one of their grands own a business. It is tough work, even when you love what you are doing.
essme
(1,207 posts)I only posted because I was curious about how people view these little, "old timey" stores-- a throwback to the best of the sixties and seventies. I would never ask for business advice on a social media website, although I am sure there are folks here that have much to offer.
We are heading into a pretty decent retirement; a store like this would be more of a late stage, nostalgic hobby business for us- something my husband and I can enjoy together. We are well aware of the research, money, and resources we need to utilize for a project like this.
I was/ am more interested in the nostalgic stories of folks that shopped, or still shop at these little places.
I am not kidding myself; I know I could easily lose half a million on something like this-
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Money can go fast in the wrong situation. That is why I suggested that you bring in a professional, dispationate third party to help with your decisionmaking. I also suggested that you OWN the buikding that your store will be in instead of renting, that alone adds several hundred thousand dollars that you would need free and clear. The reason why you want to own is in most wealthy states, landlords will require that you sign a ten year lease. Let's say your rent is $2,500 per month (pretty low estimate for most wealthy states), if your business only last 2 years (typical for most startup businesses), you are on the hook for $240,000 in rent. If your business failed, you most likely won't have a spare $240,000 laying around, so the landlord come after other assets like your home. You would be better off to buy a rundown, but structurally sound little house on a commuter road outside of the city and snaz it up a tad, if your business fails, you can try to sell or rent out the house.
Just some things that I learned from hard experience. Fortunately I had family, one brother allowed my to sleep on the couch at his place for three years, another had a business and loaned me money off the books, a third owned a business with more space than he needed and allowed me to start and operate my second business rent free until I got back on my feet. One thing that I learned from a successful and honest business evaluator after my first business was pretty much failed is that business owners seldom sell a successful business, they 100% of the time pass them on to kids or family, if you meet a business owner that wants to sell you something that seems potentially valuable, that is a massive red flag, stop and seek expert advice before signing anything.
essme
(1,207 posts)I was trying to tell you gently. I appreciate your advice, but this wasn't the right thread to give it on.
This is just a fun dream right now. I have no intention of investing in, nor starting this for YEARS.
I am well aware of resources that I need to start writing a business plan; I am a librarian--
When we get to that point in a few years, I'll surely post asking for advice.
This is simply a nostalgia thread. I don't know how you missed my posts stating that I was enjoying recollections by DU members- and there are many. I have enjoyed every one of them.
Your post just stressed me out--- please understand that I could care less about the "nuts and bolts" right this minute. I am spending my days finding e-resources for young adults, and children. I almost wish you would delete your posts; they ruined a pleasant pastime for me. Just dreaming of the future, thinking of how we can get back to decent foods, less fuel, etc.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)You don't have to read them, hopefully others will and will find value in them. Believe me, you will be a lot more stressed out if you find yourself in your late 50s or 60s broke because of a business failure, that is an experience that I would warn anyone against having to go through - that doesn't say that you should not try to live a dream, just have a set amount of money that you are willing to lose and if you hit that, have yourself in a position to shut the doors immediately. Hopefully, if you get there, you will be among the percentage of first time business owners that succeed out of the gate.
Honestly, when I read the replies to you, I was stunned by the number of people that were saying "go for it". The only thing that I will guess is not a single one of those people have ever owned a business. I felt a need to counter that wrong-headed view. You don't have to like the real life warnings that I gave you, hopefully, someone else that is contemplating starting a business will read them and find the value in them that my experience say is there.
Patterson
(1,527 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Patterson
(1,527 posts)OhZone
(3,212 posts)Natural Foods on 37.
femmedem
(8,196 posts)We have the bulk bins, the local soaps and produce, a code kitchen where people prepare to go food. I was on the board of directors when we opened, and then I was a vendor at their indoor winter farmers market.
It's the best place to shop here during the pandemic. They've got curbside pickup, everyone wears masks, they've got a table with gloves and hand sanitizer when you walk in, and they have staff handling the bulk purchases now to minimize people touching everything.
Chellee
(2,090 posts)I like the fact that the building is smaller. I find the sheer size of most stores annoying. I also like that my co-op has lots of locally produced products. That's just a win on multiple levels, it keeps money inside the community, it didn't have to be shipped over long distances, so there's less environmental damage, and it's fresher. Every year they have a plant sale and you can buy herbs and vegetables to transplant. They have a little cafe inside (although that portion is closed right now) with a salad bar, a hot food bar, soups and sandwiches. I love my co-op!
I only go to the big stores to get a few things that the co-op doesn't carry, and I haven't even done that for the last month. I'm limiting the number of places I go, and I'm finding out that a lot of things that I considered essential before, really aren't.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)The family has done so well that they have a store in three other Florida cities.
The key is to find someone who really knows the business. Maybe you can be a business partner with a longtime healthfood store employee that wants to own.
Keys of business that I have learned:
- If you want a partner, have a background check done on that person before you sign him or her on the partner with you. Character MATTERS.
- If you can, find an expert evaluator to review your business plan. Surprisingly really good CPAs have worked with tons of business people and have some evaluation chops about what can work from a financial standpoint.
- Try to avoid signing a lease. Even if you have to start the business in an old abandoned building, do that instead of signing a 10 year lease in the city or surburbs. The key is to keep your hard financial obligations as low as possible, this works early on when you are trying to build a reputation for your business.
- Don't start a business that depends upon discounts to customers or promotions to survive, if you do, you are dead out of the gate.
- Set up online ordering capability immediately, you can even sell through Amazon. This will allow you to develop a revenue stream that doesn't rely on walkin foot traffic.
- Keep your displays organized and avoid clutter. Set up a good inventory management system so that you know what is selling, keep those items in supply.
miyazaki
(2,239 posts)I was just a wee little one then.
displacedtexan
(15,696 posts)Even though there are tons of Volvos in the lot. It's grown a lot, but it still has a calm vibe.
https://www.rainbow.coop/
Happy Hoosier
(7,210 posts)Apparently they didnt wash their lettuce. Ugh, it was rough.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)Sold bongs and rolling papers. I think the heavy incense was meant to cover up the pot smell.
Ahpook
(2,749 posts)An ex girlfriend has owned a shop like this for about 10 years. She has local made crafts, soaps, candles and many other trinkets and oddities. She also has yoga classes, drum circles and many other activities after hours in the store.
Business is slow however! She gets her bills paid but certainly not making money for an annual trip to Hawaii It takes a community to support stores like this. The zombies go straight to the big box stores instead of supporting the locals.
bullimiami
(13,074 posts)I havent been there in almost 15yrs.
Had a tiny restaurant space in the back.
Maybe 10 seats.
Deelicious thanks to Carlos.
Seitan Pie. Yum.
And yes I would go to a place like that today.
Wednesdays
(17,306 posts)However, I can't help you because I don't live anywhere near you.
Choose your location carefully -- make sure it's where a lot of potential customers live. A college town would be ideal.
peacebuzzard
(5,145 posts)in many countries, backpacking through Europe, traveling through many cities here in the U.S., the 70s was a grand era,
There are still a few around. But after this experience we are going through currently, I will be not doing retail much at all.
I will be restricting my travels to strict necessity only, and will be doing delivery for food as a preference.
If you do open a vegan store please include take out and delivery. `You should have a demand for that, if you offer your menu online etc.... `you could build your portal with a laid back 70s theme.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I think there are a couple between Tumwater and Lacey Wa also.
Merlot
(9,696 posts)They don't have a website, so I call them up and tell them what I need, they walk to the shelf and describe the item, give me brand names and prices. Then I pay by CC, and they bring it out to my car. I'm really happy that I can be supporting a small business at this time.