The Grove Project

Gourmet Market Opens Downtown

I think I lost a little tread from the sole of my shoe when I skidded to a stop to check out the freshly opened Gourmet Market on Front Street downtown. I have lived in Wilmington for three years and have been absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of a grocery store downtown. Rationales I’ve heard from locals about why we’re missing this basic necessity (conceivably the heart to our downtown!) include lack of parking-lot space, the possibility of crime, and just not enough general interest. I won’t say these reasons are completely unfounded, but they just aren’t show-stoppers in my opinion. In SoHo Dean & DeLuca does not provide parking for the thousands of customers who walk through their doors every day. And as for crime and general interest, the former would go down and the latter would surely go up if downtown had enough substantive businesses to keep it bustling.

Enter Seyoum Joseph, owner of Gourmet Market.

Originally from Ethiopia, Joseph has called Wilmington home for the past eleven years, and says he was greatly inspired by businesses like Trader Joe’s, Tidal Creek and Lovey’s Market when making plans to open this Front Street shop. It’s hard to imagine that this carefully renovated, well lit, clean space, boasting shelves and shelves of organic (yes, organic!), healthy food and products was once the site of the hoary Reed’s Jewelers.

Joseph says he’s committed to providing his customers high quality, organic products, and he intends to do this by using distributors that adhere to the guidelines set forth by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Relying heavily on his organic distributing company to provide him with product information and merchandising ideas, he seems absolutely enthusiastic in his mission to provide downtown Wilmington with healthy and organic products. But he also gets a steady flow of requests to sell soda and candy bars. It must be tempting to carry sure-sell items like these, especially when the rent is due and there are bills to pay. All this journalist can say is, Please stay true to your commitment to sell healthy organic products, Mr. Joseph!

Grove Project: Your shop is great looking. Was it an easy/fun transformation from jewelery store to gourmet market?

It was a major renovation project that took two and a half years to complete. We had to redo all the electrical wiring and some of the plumbing. We put put in brand new refrigerator cases as well as new heat and air conditioning components. We also pulled up layers and layers of carpet in order to find the original hardwood floor and then restored it to this beautiful blond wood you see today.

Grove Project: What is your vision of the store’s future?

Well for the immediate future of the store we are working on getting more fresh, locally-grown organic produce. We also have a deli case being installed in the next few days so we can sell hormone- and pesticide-free cold cuts, and perhaps some cold salads. As for the not-so-immediate future, we hope to expand—to continue to fill our shelves with healthy and organic products.

Grove Project: What can our reader’s expect to find consistently in the store when they shop?

Customers can expect to find fresh fruits, vegetables, locally grown produce, organic grocery items such as canned and dried beans, pasta, pasta sauces, dairy products, healthy snacks and drinks, spices, vitamins and coffee.

Grove Project: I’ve heard through the grape vine that some of your businesses have included convenience stores. If this is true, will we start to see more convenience type items like Doritos and Coca Cola in the store?

Joseph pauses for several seconds. I’m not intending to bring in items that non-healthy, non-organic products. As I mentioned before, I have been greatly inspired by other local health food stores.

Grove Project: What has your reception from the community been like thus far?

Since the opening of the store on October 14, 2007, people have been extremely excited to find us here. Some people have even asked for hugs because they are just so excited about the store, and most people just say ‘thank you’ over and over again. It has been a really wonderful experience and has kept me motivated to continue to find good products to bring into the market.

Grove Project: If your family and friends were coming to visit for Thanksgiving what items from the store would you definitely want to bring home?

I would definitely bring home a bag or two of chocolate tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good. All of our customers really love those and we have the jalapeño tortilla chips coming soon as well. I would also stock my pantry with Acqua Panna sparkling water from S. Pellegrino because the water tastes great, and the bottle itself is very attractive for sharing with guests. I would bring home a bag of 100% Sumatran Coffee from Coffees of the World. Oh, I also would not forget to bring home some paper towels from Earth Friendly Products.

Grove Project: I am now going to pick up something to make for dinner. Any suggestions?

For a very quick and easy meal you might enjoy one of the several varieties of organically made canned soup we carry. Or perhaps you would like to try something from the Mediterranean section of the store. You could bring home a jar of dolma, rice and spice stuffed grape leaves marinated in oil, to serve with a cold couscous salad. We sell packaged couscous from Near East that you can cook and combine with chopped onion, tomato, cucumber and olive oil, all of which we carry here in the Gourmet Market.

[where:27 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC]