Originally published in IVCBA’s Live.Work.Play Magazine, Written by Kayla Anderson
The new Natural Grocers on 873 Tahoe Boulevard is now open, providing residents and visitors
with another way to get fresh, healthy food.
There are only three other Natural Grocers in the state (one in Reno and two in the Las
Vegas/Henderson area), making this Incline Village location its fourth Nevada store.
“This has been a long time coming, two years in the making,” says Natural Grocers Store
Manager Daniel Wescott. “What sets Natural Grocers apart is that the produce section is 100
percent organic, no exceptions. The produce doesn’t last as long because of that but keeping it
local and organic is important to the owners,” he adds. He believes that having a Natural
Grocers in Incline is a good fit because the demographic of people who live here tend to have
healthy and active lifestyles.
Over in the produce section in front of large aloe vera leaves, Wescott shares that every
weekend the store hosts a “Sample Saturday” event, where people are encouraged to come in
and try new products– or industry favorites that management chooses. “For an hour or so we
pick out what we want to sample, and learning what folks want,” Wescott says. “We can special
order produce and encourage you to speak up if you don’t see something you want; we always
do our best to find it and get it in.”
A big thing for Natural Grocers is that it has its own bulk packaging program, too. There is a
whole refrigerated aisle of bulk flour, snacks, dried fruit, nuts, and more that is labeled non-GMO
or organic, and free of harmful BPA or phthalates in its packaging.
“We have an entire list of ingredients we will not carry and have a rigorous inspection process,”
Wescott says, something Natural Grocers has been doing since 1955.
According to its website, Natural Grocers is highly concerned with the way products “are grown,
produced and processed, what they contain, how they are packaged and what is added to them.
[It] has a fundamental impact on our health and the wellbeing of our communities.”
“I remember hearing a story of a product that was pulled off the shelf because it had an
ingredient that didn’t pass inspection, and it was a bestseller. I think that shows a true
commitment to its mission,” Wescott says.
Standing in the bulk packaging aisle, I ask him what his favorite food is. “I love the sriracha cashews, and these carob energy chews,” he says, pointing to a 12-oz. bag of them was priced at $5.99, and four good-sized chunks are only 150 calories. (After our meeting, I went back and bought a bag… that paired with a can of High Brew Mocha made me feel clean, light, and ready to charge up the Flume Trail).
“Recreation is big here, people are into hiking, biking, skiing…so these kinds of foods are perfect for taking into the outdoors,” Wescott confirms.
Across from the bulk food section, all its meat is displayed and labeled on a bronze, silver, and
gold scale, indicating levels of how poultry, fish, and beef is farmed and raised. Another one of his favorite products are the Mulay’s Italian meatballs. “This is a woman-owned company, and they stand up to their quality. My kids love these, and they have no sugar.”
Going down the aisles, Wescott points out body care products made with clean, high-quality
ingredients (“setting the soap bar high,” it says) and its own line of packaged organic spices. On
the other end of the store, Natural Grocers has more than 7,000 SKU’s in supplements as well
as its own nutritional coach who does one-on-one consulting to help people with their dietary
needs.
“We’re here for the community and have someone here to talk to about your health issues,”
Wescott says.
Natural Grocers has a wide range of products at an affordable price, and you probably won’t
have to spend as much time as you do at other stores scouring labels. “Come in and check us out, ask questions. We really want people to talk to us. Food is an intimate thing, and it’s all individual. We want to provide something for everyone.”
What It’s Like to Work There, “I’ve been in retail half my life,” Wescott says (he’s 36 and got his first job at a store when he was 16). “Natural Grocers is very pro crew…we’re all encouraged to try the things here.”
Employees get instore credit for every hour worked and a straight ten percent discount on anything in the store, on top of all other benefits.
Natural Grocers also has an {N}power Rewards program for regular shoppers to get discounts,
earn rewards, and receive surprise offers.
