Encourage Greenlife Grocery to open Kingsport Location
Posted by DownTown Kingsport Square on September 26, 2008
One of the greatest assets of a natural foods store is that they offer staple foods and ingredients in bulk. This includes flours, grains, nuts, cereals, beans, dried fruit, herbs and spices, teas, oils, honey, etc…
In tight economic times, the ability to buy these kinds of staple items in bulk at a much reduced cost is extraordinarily helpful for families and individuals.
Click here then scroll down to write a brief note, or contact them directly, if you’d like Greenlife Grocery (a fantastic natural foods store out of Asheville) or any other natural foods store to open a Kingsport location. If you’ve been to a Wild Oats, Whole Foods, or EarthFare, it is very similar. Check out their website at www.greenlifegrocery.com
Your emails, letters, and brief comments let Greenlife Grocery know there is a need. Together we can make a difference for the whole community. To contact them via email click EMAIL.
Click here to read a letter my wife and I had previously written.
Barbara Carter said
I would love to have you open a store in downtown Kingsport. I think you would find a huge response in our community. Kingsport has a large group of young professionals who would be your target group.
Sincerely,
Barbara Carter
kathy richards said
we would love to have Greenlife Grocery here! Your store would keep us moving in a great direction.. healthy and growing!
John M. Shockley said
Please consider Kingsport. The town and the local area needs to have an option for healthier food.
Thank you.
Kind Regards,
John M. Shockley
Ann and Larry Livengood said
We are very much in support of a Downtown grocery, and even more so if it were a natural foods type of grocery. We have been in Kingsport for just over 1 year, and we are definitely missing a full service natural foods store. We have always lived in a place that had Whole Foods, Fresh Fields, The Fresh Market, etc, and did not realize how much we utilized those type of stores before. I would foresee us making an immediate switch to any type of full service natural foods grocery that would open in Kingsport, but especially if it were Downtown which would be much more convenient for us. I have looked at the Geenlife Grocery website and it looks like it would be the type of business that we would be patrons at.
Jennifer Janus said
I would love a Greenlife Grocery in Kingsport. Please, please, come!
Reid Blackwelder, MD said
We have a thriving community of green-oriented people and a supportive professional community here. We really need a Green Life here. Currently we and many of our friends drive to Asheville to shop there. Bring that income home to Kingsport! Come join us.
Remi Switalski MD said
Please bring Greenlife to Kingsport. Many of us look forward to a hub of healthy food near where we live, instead of weekly trekking.
Mary Glenn Lively said
My family would shop there several times a week! Please bring us a healthy fresh foods grocery store!!
Thank you!
Sarah Good said
A Greenlife would be AMAZIING in Kingsport!!! We shopped at the Greenlife in Chattanooga all the time before moving back to Kingsport, and would be thrilled to have such a wonderful store with great variety here. There is a need and a market for such a store in Kingsport!!!!
Frank Fischer, Jr. MD said
We would love to see Green Life come to Kingsport. Whenever my wife and I are in Ashville – 90 miles away, we make it a point to stop at the Earth Fare store. It is too far away to shop there regularly – would be much more convenient here. Kingsport is a very stable community with a stable, very conscientious business base. Hope you can open a store here.
The educational system is excellent and the quality of life is excellent. Hope to see you in the near future. If I can help, please let me know.
Brenda Good said
A Greenlife Grocery would be a wonderful asset to Kingsport. Please consider this great city.
Thank you,
Brenda Good
Carrie Sanders said
I believe having a whole foods store here in the Tri-cities would be a boon, both for the grocery and for the area.
Currently, Bristol, one of our neighbor cities, has a farmers market only during the summer months. During the winter and spring, those who want whole foods and greener foods are at a loss. We cannot usually drive easily over the snowy mountains to get to Ashville easily, so we do without or settle with far less environmentally friendly foodstuffs.
Downtown Kingsport is growing. The people who are here seem to want to recapture the good food choices of their farming ancestors. They do not have the space to start victory gardens, but remember the wholesome food they contained. The people who are coming into the area are green-savvy and want to embrace the whole foods that they have been able to get in their previous homes. We have no Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or similar story for these people to go to.
Bringing a Greenlife Grocery to Kingsport would be a win-win solution.
Nancy Ball said
I would love to see a natural food market in Kingsport. The people of the SW Va and Kingsport area would be blessed to have a Green store. My kichen cabinets would be thankful for the ‘ good food’.
Amy Fitzpatrick MS, RD said
As a nutritionist I regularly recommend whole and natural foods to my clients, friends and family. Although I believe there is a growing population base in Kingsport that prefers natural foods, ufortunately Kingsport has an unmet need when it comes to a full-service “green” grocery. Please consider Kingsport as your next destination!
Maranda Demuth said
A natural foods grocery would be an amazing addition to our city! I believe you would be surprised at how many people would support a Green Life Grocery. Please come to Kingsport!
Peter Bockhorst DO said
Green Life would be the piece d’ resistance for the Kingsport rejuvenation effort… we’ve come such a long way in the 7 years I’ve lived in this area. The unmet need is still so large!
Melissa Foster said
I would love to have a Green Life grocery in Kingsport! My husband and I miss the whole grocery food stores that we had access to in Houston before me moved to Kingsport. We frequently stop in Ashville to shop at a whole food market.
Amber Vachon said
It would be fabulous to have a Greenlife in Kingsport. Currently, as there are no similar grocery stores in the area, it is a completely unmet need. With a metropolitan service area approximately the same size as Asheville and an economy that continues to grow, a Kingsport store would undoubtedly do extremely well.
mark brummel said
I believe a natural foods grocery store in Kingsport would be a great asset to the area. I would love to have an organic option in Kingsport.
Debbie Folk said
I would love to have a Fresh Market/Whole Foods grocery in Kingsport. I always stop at one in Asheville, NC.
Cameron said
Fresh organic foods are great! I think you should consider what I am learning at Dobyns-Bennett High School, though. We already have stores here in town that have these kinds of foods. Some drug stores like Mac’s Medicine Mart too.
Are you sure enough people would keep this store in business?
Kick it up a notch-I love cooking!
Cameron
Jessica Hatfield said
If Greenlife Grocery came to downtown Kingsport, it wouldn’t just be the healthiest option, it would also be the closest option for many residents, including my family. We always shopped at similar grocery stores when we lived in Nashville and have missed them greatly! Please come to Kingsport!
Linda Dula said
I am from Asheville and know how wonderful Greenlife is. I always shopped there and continue to do so when I can get back. I would love to have one here and I think there is a lot of support here for Greenlife.
Hannah Rutledge said
Greenlife would be a perfect fit for the evolving downtown Kingsport. I grew up in Chattanooga and frequented all your locations, and am certain that Greenlife would fit perfectly with our city.
Amber Vachon said
Cameron,
Thanks for your comments. I, too, love cooking and like to use the best ingredients possible. To me, this means freshness, quality, and variety – without breaking the bank. Have you ever visited a Greenlife, EarthFare, Whole Foods, or Wild Oats? Organic foods are only a small aspect of what these stores have to offer. These stores offer something very different from what Kroger, Food City, Ingles or even Mac’s do: rows and rows of bulk items.
At these stores, the selection is much wider and significantly more affordable where it matters most: staple items. At Greenlife, as well as other whole foods stores, one can buy bulk spices, flours, grains, nuts and nut butters, oils, teas, herbs, coffees, dried fruits, etc.
This is really great for people like me, who have wheat and corn sensitivities. There are literally dozens of bulk grains and flours from which I may choose. A few of these are: amaranth, barley, cassava, farro, garbanzo, Job’s Tears, kamut, millet, mochiko, oat, quinoa, rice (in multiple forms and flavors), rye, sorghum, spelt and teff. When one buys in bulk, the consumer can purchase as little or as much as he or she needs.
My husband and I love to cook and stock our kitchen with over 100 different herbs and spices. We would not able to afford this if we were not able to buy bulk at an EarthFare or Greenlife. Besides, it is exciting to able to be adventurous and try new spices for just a few pennies!
Buying in bulk not only is generally more environmentally sound, but significantly reduces waste, and is much cheaper. It is better for the environment in that it uses minimal packing – No cardboard or plastic boxes, just the plastic bag or reusable container that you use to contain the bulk item for carrying home.
Greenlife is not only a good choice from the bulk foods standpoint, it also provides better options for name brand packaged foods. Like other grocery stores that specialize in whole foods, Greenlife orders in mass quantities from its suppliers and is able to offer competitive prices on packaged foods, such as Clif and Luna bars, Ezekiel bread, Terra chips, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk and the like. Right now we have some of these packaged foods available at Food City, Ingles, Kroger, and Mac’s, but we have found that the prices are usually formidably higher than at Greenlife or Earth Fare.
Do I think that we could provide enough business for one Greenlife store? Absolutely! Our metropolitan service area (MSA) is the same size as Asheville and our median income is only slightly less. Asheville supports two Earth Fares, one Greenlife Grocery, two food co-ops, and two salvage whole foods grocery stores in addition to a Fresh Market. There are rumors that Whole Foods plans to open a store there as well. Hmmm . . . . “Asheville 8 – Kingsport 0″. At minimum, it needs to be “Kingsport 1″. Kingsport can definitely support one store.
jeremy lively said
Whole-heartedly agree that this is a completely unmet need and untapped market in our area. Please consider Kingsport and grow w/ our community.
Thanks for your consideration.
Ashley Hill said
I would love to have a Fresh Market/Whole Foods grocery in Kingsport. You have to search for whole and natural foods at many different stores, and can be difficult to find what you need. This would be such a great asset to our community and to the tri-cities region.
Tincher family said
We would love to have a Greenlife Grocery here. We have shopped these kinds of stores in Asheville and Knoxville and there is a large market in Kingsport for this type of store. I have several friends as well who travel to Asheville with coolers, etc to shop at natural food stores. Please consider Kingsport as a location for your store. Our downtown area is thriving and your store will as well.
J McDavid said
We would definitely shop at a Greenlife store. Kingsport needs one of these stores and what better place than downtown!!!
Marie Browning, MS, CNW said
It would be so exciting to have a Greenlife Grocery in Kingsport!
I always recommend natural and organic whole foods to my clients. Wouldn’t it be great for them to have the opportunity to discover the benefits of bulk bins, the tastes of unusually fresh produce, the incredible variety of grains? Kingsport’s population is greater than what it appears. Many of us live on the fringes of the city, an invisible demographic that grows each year. Everyday, I meet new people interested in eating organically. Please consider bringing a store to us!
Becki said
Please, Please, Please bring your fantastically healthy store to the Kingsport area. It is SO overdue and there is a burgeoning health consciousness among the population here. There is no one store that combines all of the healthy elements in one arena to make shopping for a healthy lifestyle informative efficient & affordable. This could be life altering for so many people and what a fabulous business opportunity! Your business will be great, however, the cardiac and diabetes wings at the hospitals’ business will plummet!
Lori Fogleman said
Please bring Greenlife Grocery to Kingsport. It would be a wonderful addition to a thriving community.
Gwenn Holmes said
My husband and I recently opened a business in downtown Kingsport and are so excited of the possibility of Greenlife Grocery coming to Kingsport. We have been hoping for a grocery store downtown but Greenlife would be even better.
Kingsport is booming…come join us.
addie said
My friends and I love to explore new grocery stores. We are very interested in fresh products.
Bill B said
My wife and I have been eating better for several years. We feel much healthier now that we stay away from processed food, copious animal proteins, and basic FDA approved junk food. We have come to realize that nature has provided us with more exciting food options than we were aware of. I would love to have a Greenlife location open in Kingsport!! I truly believe that once America finally figures out that established “healthy” eating practices in this country are not-so-healthy, more and more people will turn to stores such as this. Please, get in on the ground floor in Kingsport!! Thank you for your time.
Rafael Zabala said
We recently opened Stir Fry Cafe in downtown Kingsport. Our business is doing very well and I feel Green Life fits well with Kingsports demographics. We chose downtown Kingsport because we are confident that other business owners will see the great potential the area has to offer. Please feel free contact me with any questions or comments. By the way we also opened a new location in Asheville. Thanks for your time.
S. Nickels said
I would be very pleased if Greenlife Grocery would come to Kingsport. I am one of our major demographic number, active retired, and have been attempting to eat better for a number of years. There are two whole food/supplement stores in the area, one in Kingsport and one in Johnson City. But they do not nearly meet the need for a wide variety of healthy, natural whole foods. We needed you far more than a Starbucks!
Roy Settle said
I think the idea of a grocery store that is committed to fresh, healthy and LOCAL food is wonderful. This would be yet another avenue to give citizens a chance to participate in our local food economy. This would also support local farmers and encourage the preservation of farmland. The Appalachian RC&D Council strongly supports the marketing and purchase of local foods and products. Please check out our website http://www.LocalGoods.org to find out what is grown, crafted and manufactured in our region.
Thanks
Roy Settle
Skeet Cutshall said
We travel to buy these items no. Imagine what a win-win situation it would be to have you in Kingsport, saving us the drive and giving you the business!
Jon said
The market in Kingsport is growing faster than most know! This would be a great advancement for our town!
John & Angela Vachon said
So much is happening in Downtown Kingsport!
The Academic Village is in the early stages of development. The Regional Center for Health Professions welcomed its first semester of students Fall 2008. Two other buildings have just broken ground to begin classes Fall 2009, which will bring the overall enrollment of Downtown university students in excess of 3,000.
Residential Lofts are actively being developed, as a demand for lofts far exceeds the current supply. Many new businesses including Restaurants and Retail Stores are opening at a rapid pace, which are not only bringing many new faces to Downtown for shopping and dining, but also creating a sound base of new employees to add to the large number of people who already work in and around DT KP. In addition to the 6,000 employees within DT and 18,000 employees within 1 mile, there are many neighborhoods within walking distance to DT KP.
Also, the Wellmont Holston Valley medical campus that is just 3 blocks from DT is expanding its current site by investing $111 Million into building several new facilities. An additional $54 Million is being invested by Holston Medical Group as they put the finishing touches on a new 200,000+ SF Outpatient Center within this campus. This facility is the largest free-standing medical building of its kind in the nation not attached to a hospital or university and is located within walking distance to Downtown.
Most people who frequent DT KP say the only thing that is missing in Downtown Kingsport is a grocery store. We would love for Greenlife Grocery to fulfill part of this unmet demand!
Aundrea Wilcox said
Count me in for a Greenlife Grocery in downtown Kingsport. It is very much needed and wanted. I am a vegetarian and I find it difficult to find new meatless products and healthy alternatives. Although I have had some luck at the local stores, there is not enough variety to choose from. Bring it on!
Michelle Vachon said
I think that Greenlife Grocery is being let in on a little secret before the rest of the natural grocery stores know about the great city of Kingsport. With health-conscious families, professionals, and students, the demand is great for a store that provides fresh produce and healthy items in bulk at an affordable cost. I have always loved the alternatives to traditional grocery chains, alternatives like Whole Foods, Bread and Circus, and Atlanta’s International Farmers Market. It would be a shame for Greenlife Grocery to miss out on an opportunity to be a part of a quickly flourishing city with a conscientious community.
Julie Frisina said
As a visitor to Kingsport from Boston, I would like to chime-in to show my support for a Greenlife there. It would be wonderful to have a reliable, healthy selection of food available. I am quite impressed with the changes Kingsport has undergone over the past ten years, and a Greenlife would continue the positive revitalization of this wonderful location. Thank you so much for considering it.
Huckleberry said
We need this kind of grocery store!
I am a firm believer in buying local produce, and these types of stores specialize in that. What makes local better is the fact that the food does not have to travel as far, therefore, it does not need extra chemicals or pesticides to keep it “fresh”, it really is fresh, not synthetic fresh. In the coming years, I predict people will seek local goods because of this. At some point it will be proven that the preservatives used and found in foods that are shipped globally are actually like ingesting small amounts of formaldehyde in your body. I support local products produced with alternative energies, and we are all going to have to support these kinds of efforts if we are going to do anything about stopping global warming. It all begins in each and every household, and having a grocery store locally that supports locally produced goods, and does not support chemical laden food is a great step in getting us all healthy, and getting our earth back to health. When you think about it, good planets are hard to find.
Debbie Dykes said
I would love to see a green grocery in downtown we need a store that offers fresh foods and has lots of varities. I went to a great store in Chattanooga and couldn’t believe the difference in the things they offer. It will be a great asset to our community.
Amy Faust said
A Greenlife Grocery in Kingsport would be fantastic; I would certainly love to have a store full of healthy, organic options nearby instead of having to schedule a trip out of town to visit such a place and “stock up!” It would get plenty of business from me, and I know many folks who feel the same way! I wish I had a nickel for every time I have heard someone express the desire for something like this!