Since Brent Binder’s first visit to The Healthy Grocer in 2008, the store has been his first choice shop. “The convenience of a small store can’t be topped,” the Pennsylvania-based chiropractor shares. “There’s no big parking lot or warehouse-sized store grocery lines. The Healthy Grocer offers dependable product lines and friendly, familiar faces.”
The Healthy Grocer opened its doors in 1996 and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in May. In the last couple of years, the range of customers has widened—but one thing is true for all: Everyone who shops at The Healthy Grocer wants to live a healthy life, says Susan Kiskis, General Manager of the store, which operates with a close-knit staff of 14.
Brent is one of those customers. Over the years, he has experimented with vegetarian and vegan diets. He’s also tried out gluten-free and dairy-free and has relied on The Healthy Grocer to provide the essentials. “They always have everything I need and want,” he praises. Brent’s children enjoy the store as well. “They love their healthy snacks!”
Minimizing waste and engaging in a sustainable lifestyle is a priority for the store. In 2018, The Healthy Grocer started reducing food waste by bringing vegetable scraps from its deli and produce department to Earth Spring Farms. In the spring and fall, they work with two local farmers to make use of scrap produce. With COVID-19, the store closed its deli, but still collects produce that can’t be donated and containers it for composting, says Kiskis. A local farmer picks up the compost scraps weekly. “It is partnerships like this,” she says, “that will help with long- and short-term goals to support our planet and each other.”
