Healthy Convenience Store Aims To Take On 7-Eleven

by Rina Raphael for Fast CompanyIf you’ve been on a road trip, you know the deal: You stop at a gas mart, where you’re presented with a dizzying array of gummies, sodas, and overcooked pizza slices. If you desire something mildly nutritious, options are limited–it’s either nuts or beef jerky.

That’s what inspired PR veteran Rachel Krupa to launch The Goods Mart, a healthy convenience store committed to smarter eating: Every single item is free of artificial colors, sweeteners, and flavors, and without growth hormones or disruptors. And all of the humanely raised animal proteins are nitrate-, antibiotic-, and GMO-free.As Krupa explains, it’s like “Whole Foods and 7-Eleven had a baby.”Situated in L.A.’s trendy Silver Lake neighborhood, The Goods Mart, which opens today, attempts to be the easy, less time-invasive alternative to grocery store shopping–albeit with a wellness twist. The newly opened store, which plans to go nationwide in the next year, targets locals looking for organic home essentials, or traffic-plagued drivers who can pick up a $2 La Colombe drip coffee.Like a traditional ampm, there are the processed grab-and-go basics, such as cheese puffs, ramen cups, and chocolate bars–but made with some healthy ingredient like quinoa or chia seeds. Yerba mate replaces energy drinks, while the slushy machine churns out a tropical-flavored kombucha variety. Even the Paleo-friendly pork rinds feel healthier, having been seasoned with pink Himalayan salt.Fresher produce is also available, though in the form of ugly fruit by way of L.A.’s local GrubMarket, which finds new homes for imperfectly shaped produce. The awkward-looking oranges and lemons sit in oversized weave baskets by the front door, beckoning customers like homeless puppies at the pound.Read More →