Wednesday, 21 March 2012 07:26
This article was written about KWF! They say we are the "best kept secret." Well, hopefully not for much longer!
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EARLY SPRING 2012 • www.blackdogmedialtd.com
EATS. BEST-KEPT SECRET
When I arrived at Kimberton Whole Foods, I ran into a friend in the parking lot. We were both a little surprised, because neither of us lives nearby, and it was, after all, Ottsville. Hardly an epicenter.
At least Kaitlynn Stupak, the store’s manager, wasn’t surprised. “It’s a real community atmosphere,” she says. “Once people come in and experience it, they come back. It’s a totally different vibe than a supermarket, even than other natural food stores.”
Two easy observations: customers, apparently, are willing to go out of their way to shop at Kimberton. And once there, they take their time. Kimberton encourages an easy rhythm by hosting yoga classes and countless product-related demonstrations.
Kimberton Whole Foods came into existence in 1986 as the Seven Stars Farm Store, selling organic milk and yogurt made right on the Chester County dairy farm. When it outgrew its space, the store was moved to nearby Phoenixville (on Kimberton Road) and, in 1994, renamed Kimberton Whole Foods, expanding its inventory along the way to encompass organic and all-natural dairy, meats and produce, as well as non-mainstream health and beauty lines.
There are stores in Downingtown and Douglassville in addition to the flagship and the Ottsville location, which opened in September 2008 and is attached via an open doorway to the coffeehouse, Brig O’Doon, which only encourages more hanging out. (The flagship features its own solar-powered café, complete with a local, organic and mostly-biodynamic menu.)
A uncompromising ethical code and mission statement shaped by a dedication to sustainability, local farming and organic product form the backbone of the privately-owned chain. “The staff is very committed,” Stupak says. “It’s part of their lifestyle and beliefs. They want to help customers understand and learn.”
We’ve come to equate boutique grocers with cost-prohibitive pricing, but Kimberton is competitive with other natural food markets
in the region. The chain is satisfied accepting a narrow margin in the name of furthering the plight of the local farmers that stock its shelves.
When a company shows an interest in something above the bottom
line, it tends to call out to customers. Which could explain the chance encounter in the parking lot.
Kimberton Whole Foods, 239 Durham Road, Ottsville; 610-847-2419; www.kimbertonwholefoods.com.
A Small Grocer with Big Ambitions
PHOTOS BY CANTOR DESIGN
Kimberton isn’t your average natural food store. Here, it’s every bit as much about atmosphere as it is the environment.
By Lynne Goldman
Friday, 16 March 2012 07:24
WE DID IT AGAIN!!!
