PCC Community Markets, the largest community-owned food market in the United States, on Wednesday opened its 14th store, located in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood. To help reflect the spirit of the community, the new store is partnering with local food bank Byrd Barr Place to provide ongoing support and connect Byrd Barr Place to local farmers in order to supply fresh produce to those that need it most.
As the newest partner in PCC’s Food Bank Program, the Central District store will provide a range of quality groceries to support those who trust Byrd Barr Place to bring food to their tables.
The 18,000-square-foot store will also feature an art installation from a local artist, consisting of 20 panels that each depict an abstracted image of a key location in the Central District.
“The doors aren’t even open yet, but PCC has already stepped in to help connect us with local farmers to get fresh produce to our clients during these challenging times,” said Andrea Caupain, Byrd Barr Place CEO. “Having a partner like this that we can rely on will have a meaningful impact in our community.”
Local artist Jite Agbro aims to help connect the fabric of the neighborhood's rich history to a new composition of its current makeup with her installation, “The Form That It Takes.” Her installation consists of 20 panels, each depicting an abstracted image of a key location in the central area. The panels occupy the northwest corner of the 23rd and Union PCC store.
PCC veteran Tim Tackett will lead the team as the Central District store director. Tackett joined PCC in 2009 as a deli lead at the Fremont neighborhood store and has since held other roles including assistant store director and store director at that location.
Members and shoppers at the Central District location can enjoy the following:
- Full-service meat and seafood, sustainably sourced and cut-to-order.
- PCC’s large selection of prepackaged bulk items, including everything from flours, rice and nuts to olive oil and new nonfood items like bath salts, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner.
- An affordable line of certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified pantry staples from Field Day, including more than 150 items from canned beans and extra virgin olive oil to peanut butter and oatmeal.
- PCC’s own private-label collection of 12 product lines sourced from local producers, like PCC Organic Grass-fed Yogurt made by Pure Éire Dairy in Othello, Wash., and PCC Organic Pastured Eggs from Wilcox Family Farms in Roy, Wash.
- A carefully curated selection of 100% Pacific Northwest-produced spirits to complement the co-op’s collection of exclusive wines and local beers and ciders.
- PCC also offers made-from-scratch deli offerings that can be taken to go, including:
- PCC Pizzeria showcasing fresh-baked pizza made in-house;
- Hot and cold prepackaged favorites to go, like PCC Grain Bowls, Macaroni and Cheese, Oven Roasted Chicken and a selection of antipasti;
- Meals for two that come with a main and a side dish, such as Linguine with Meatballs, Parmesan Chicken Fingers and Turkey Meatloaf; and
- Family-sized salads and ready-to-heat casseroles, including Chicken Enchiladas and Strawberry Spinach Salad.
The new Central District store will adopt all the health and safety protocols of the other PCC stores in the area. In an ongoing focus to keep staff, members and shoppers safe, the store will have signage encouraging social distancing as well as plexiglass at check stands. All store staff are required to wear masks and it is highly encouraged for shoppers to do the same out of respect for the health and safety of the community.