My friend Jen turned me on to San Francisco's Bi-Rite Market, the kind of mom and pop supermarket our moms and pops never had (or even imagined). The home page of the Bi-Rite Market website proudly proclaims the store as:
a destination for restaurant quality prepared foods and catering, organic produce, sustainably raised meats, poultry, and seafood, as well as fine wines and everyday groceries.
The concept seems pretty straightforward: provide customers with an amazing selection of local, organic, sustainable foods in the center of a busy area (San Francisco's Mission district). Include all of the "normal things" people want and need to buy, in order to make the experience better, easier, and more popular. Make everything beautiful, including the brand. Add an ice cream shop... Hey, I said it was straightforward, I didn't say it was easy! Here's more from the Bi-Rite Market site:
Bi-Rite Market is not your everyday grocery store. Not only do we have a huge array of carefully-selected products (all packed into a pretty small space!), but we pride ourselves on "old-school" service you can't get at chain stores. Our shelves boast a huge array of organic, sustainable, and locally-produced items; we make it easy for you to know where your food comes from.
The website features all sorts of great pictures, a newsletter, information about the farms Bi-Rite works with, and what seems to be a terrific community focused on great food and great food experiences. Bi-Rite Minneapolis, anyone?
