Yoke's (Quietly) Revs Its Engine

Yoke’s Fresh Market isn’t a retailer that makes a lot of noise. And why should it have to? It’s an employee-owned 12-store retailer, cozily positioned in the northwestern corner of the country.

Pay close attention, though, and you’ll see that this supermarket has some pretty neat ideas.

The company recently redesigned its website around themes of health and freshness, and it’s now one of the best retailer sites out there. There’s a host of useful links, recipes, colorful pictures of produce, and more, including a page that features dozens of local producers who stock the shelves at Yoke’s. The Spokane-based supermarket has even gotten into the blogging phenomenon (we hear that’s pretty cool), with entries by Ken Chapin, “the meat guy”, and Dannica, Nature’s Corner department manager in the Mead, Washington store.

The latest from Yoke’s is Brain Food, a trivia competition that poses a new food-related question on the company site each week. These aren’t cakewalks by any stretch, as this week’s entry demonstrates:

What milk product did the U.S. Agriculture Department propose as a substitute for meat in school lunches in 1996?

Those who answer correctly will be entered for a $10 weekly gift card giveaway, which in turn qualifies them for the big prize at the end of the year — a new Smart Car.

I hear those don’t make much noise, either.