Photography by Roy Son
In 1983, Jim and Mary Anne Kowalski opened a local market with the intent to deliver a customized, neighborhood-oriented experience. “My parents always wanted to provide a model for grocery stores that fit what the community truly needed,” explains their daughter, Kris Kowalski Christiansen, now the company’s COO. “They sat down with their neighbors on the front porch and asked how they could truly be of value. We’ve morphed into a specialty, perishable and local-driven market, but we still hold consumer group meetings to ensure that the offerings in each of our 11 shops match customer demand.”
Local, healthy and source-verified products line the store shelves, and Kowalski Christiansen notes that she actively works to offer the best selection at a variety of price points. “In each category, we’ll always offer mainstream, natural and upscale specialty choices,” she says. “Our supply chain is relationship-based. We’re hands-on; we know each of our suppliers personally.”
The company’s attitude toward common good even trickles into a citizenship-training program for its employees. “From entry-level cashiers to our leadership team, we participate in training about what it means to respect others and how governing for the common good can empower the culture of the entire organization,” she notes.
Read this article as it appears in the magazine.
