Seattle’s tiniest grocery store, a brick storefront about the size of a shipping container, opens August 15 at 8520 14th Ave. South in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood.
Founded by Carrie Ferrence and Jacqueline Gjurgevich, it’s the first permanent location of Stockbox Grocers. The original idea was to create oases of food and community in Seattle’s food deserts by converting used shipping containers into neighborhood grocery stores (“Out of the box” RC, Sept. 28, 2011).
After a successful, two-month run with a pilot store in Delridge early last fall, the business partners, both graduates of Bainbridge Graduate Institute’s mba program, began planning a permanent location.
Even before launching the pilot, Ferrence and Gjurgevich had been considering a site in South Park, where the nearest large grocery store is roughly a mile away on the opposite side of busy Highway 99.
For the South Park location, Ferrence and Gjurgevich decided to exchange their trademark shipping container for a retrofitted storefront located in the neighborhood’s main business district. In response to customer feedback, the store will stock more dairy and fresh produce, as well as grab-and-go meals, free recipe handouts and partially prepared foods. The location, which is licensed to accept food stamps, will offer some produce from South Park’s Marra farms. In addition to the 20-by-40-foot retail space, the store includes a community dining area that extends in front of the store with tables, chairs and planters.
An unexpected benefit of the store’s limited space is that it forces Ferrence and Gjurgevich to bring the business out into the community, rather than the other way around.
“Some people see that as a drawback,” said Ferrence, “but we’ve seen it as an opportunity to not only get out into the community and meet people where they’re at, but also as an opportunity to build relationships with nonprofits.” As part of their opening week, the business is hosting numerous events including educational outreach, cooking demonstrations and a community meal, all at the South Park Community Center.
Elizabeth Mauro, vice president of the South Park Neighborhood Association, says that the two owners have been extremely visible in the community — handing out coupons, soliciting suggestions and attending neighborhood events.
“The community is totally buzzing about Stockbox,” said Mauro. “We get the feeling that they really care about us in South Park. It’s not just a business to them. They have an investment in our neighborhood, and it feels like they’re a part of us already.”
Ferrence said they hope to start opening new Seattle locations as early as next year, with possible sites in Delridge and near South Seattle light rail stations.
Nationwide expansion may not be far behind; Stockbox made national headlines last fall, and Ferrence and Gjurgevich have been receiving phone inquiries from across the country.
“We still need to get a store open and really prove the model, but we are confident that there are options and interest to take this business into other areas,” Ferrence said.