The Local Checkout: Locally owned and operated grocers bring European flavors to shoppers both in and out of stores

Welcome to The Local Checkout, a new weekly Winsight Grocery Business column about independent grocers from Editor Diane Adam that is published each Friday.   

Grocery stores are like people—they come in all different shapes and sizes. Here at The Local Checkout, I’ll be taking a closer look through a wide lens of independent grocery stores. Because just like people, they all matter.  

Grocery getaway

The guidance from an in-the-know local grocer is indispensable when shopping the aisles of a grocery store. Local grocers not only grow to know you on a first name basis, but they also can provide the best understanding of the local food scene. But what if that expertise were expanded outside the neighborhood grocery store walls?

Dayton, Ohio-based Dorothy Lane Market (DLM) wants you to pack your bags this September to find out. No, not your grocery bags. The locally owned-and-operated, three-store gourmet grocer recently announced its DLM Food Tours.

The Sept. 18-26 food tour includes travel to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, home of the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar and lasagna.

“We are opening the door for you to enjoy unique access to visit some of our producers and friends in Italy for a gourmet experience,” according to the grocer’s website. Buon appetito!

Flavors of France

If traveling to a European destination is not feasible to feed your senses, Sunset Foods, a premier, locally owned supermarket with five locations in Chicago’s North Shore neighborhood, is showcasing the flavors of France with a host of cooking demos.

“At Sunset, we are passionate about bringing the best flavors and ingredients from around the world to our customers. With our carefully curated selection of French foods and ingredients, we aim to transport you to the streets of Paris with each bite,” according to the 86-year-old company’s website.

Who knew your next grocery shopping trip will transport you to the Rue Montorgueil in the heart of Paris?

Recipes from Germany

Family-operated Natural Grocers this week debuted three new varieties of mustard to the grocer’s house brand, which includes recipes brought over from Europe by a family that had a passion for the craft of mustard-making. 

Bringing the flavors from across the Atlantic, the mustards are now part of the Natural Grocers-brand pantry and come in three classic styles: yellow, spicy brown and Dijon. They are certified organic, naturally non-GMO, vegan, kosher and gluten-free.

"Our house brand is part of our family legacy,” Raquel Isely, vice president of marketing for Natural Grocers, said in a statement. “These delicious recipes were brought over from Germany in 1905 by a family that had a passion for the craft of mustard-making. In the early days of their history, our producing partner rolled out the horse and buggy, going door-to-door selling savory condiments. Four generations later, making food more flavorful is still their family business. What a legacy to bring to our customers!"

And for folks in Chicago, mustard is the only option when choosing between ketchup and mustard.  Play ball!

Free grocery for kids

This week’s shout-out that deserves the hashtag #KindessCostsNothing goes to Georgia’s Goodr Grocery Store. Sources estimate that roughly 1.1 million Georgians currently struggle with hunger. Amerigroup Georgia, Goodr and Pointe South Middle School this week celebrated the opening of a free grocery store for students and their families at Georgia’s Pointe South Middle School.

“Goodr is humbled to have the opportunity to provide this service to the students of Pointe South Middle School and their families, thanks to Amerigroup,” said founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston, in a statement. “Children cannot be expected to perform at par in the classroom with an empty stomach, and teachers should be able to stand in front of a class full of kids who are at their best. My mission is to chip away at this problem one school at a time until food access issues for children are a thing of the past.”

Goodr Grocery Stores are just one of the new and innovative ways in which the Atlanta-based sustainable waste management and hunger relief company is tackling the nation’s hunger crisis. The company said it has plans for 12 operational stores in U.S. cities by the end of the first quarter, with plans to operate 50 by the end of 2023. 

Thanks for reading The Local Checkout. Got an indie grocery story news item you think I missed? Email [email protected]