At precisely 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11, Your Local Market opened its doors at a former Safeway location at the corner of 4th and Bellevue Way NE in Bellevue, Wash.
Local shoppers, community leaders and businesspeople helped store founders and staff celebrate the opening.
“After a lot of hard work, we’re delighted to welcome shoppers to Your Local Market in Bellevue,” said Jason Brown, a founder and the CEO of the company. “We wanted to create the store with the best product mix and the most convenient shopping options available. I’m proud to say that we’ve done just that.”
The Your Local Market store’s design is intended to reduce the amount of trips a shopper makes to multiple stores. The store offers a mix of natural, organic and locally produced goods alongside mainstream brands. The product mix is 80 percent natural and organic with a 20 percent blend of everyday products.
“Your Local Market is the combination of everything we thought a local grocery store should have,” said Michael Johnson, also a founder as well as “chief food officer” of Your Local Market. “We’re happy to see that shoppers are so receptive to our store.”
The store opening also means the beginning of grocery deliveries. Customers can order groceries online and arrange for delivery within three miles or curbside pickup.
Brown’s 34-year career in specialty retail included the founding of Organic to Go, the nation’s first fast casual retailer to be certified organic by Quality Assurance International. In 2008, Brown was a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young. Over the past year he was the head of a team of consultants that created Right to Nature Hometown Market, a crossover grocery in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Johnson brings more than 20 years in retail food service operations, including senior and operational roles at Right by Nature Market, Organic to Go and Briazz.
The Your Local Market executive team hired more than 100 people to work in the store.
Your Local Market plans to host its second community benefit on Dec. 1 for the benefit of The Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue, including a sampling of wines and beer, local foods and a silent auction. Visit www.yourlocalmarket.com for more information.
