Toast and sandwiches to the rescue (Image: The Naked Grocer)

The Naked Grocer is the dream of making a package-free grocery shopping experience available to everyone and it is really happening right here on Capitol Hill.

But it might take avocado toast and a juice bar to help that dream stay a reality.

It has been about a year since Capitol Hill’s bring-your-own container grocery store first opened its doors at Pine and Boylston. The Naked Grocer is filled with bulk bins and shelves of spices, and recently added a cafe to the mix. Owner Jayne Truesdell says her favorite part of the past year has been her daily interactions with regulars. She is also hoping to get more people through the doors.

“We need people to participate in what we’re trying to do or we won’t ultimately be sustainable for the neighborhood. I know sometimes people are happy to have us here but don’t utilize us,” Truesdell said.

Truesdell calls the work a balancing act due to steep business costs on Capitol Hill. She still hears customers say they’ve never heard of the store before — which is frustrating — and has dealt with graffiti on her windows.

“There’s always shit going on in Capitol Hill, which everyone who lives here knows. I think we get to experience the best of the neighborhood, getting to know our neighbors and have those relationships and regular daily interactions, but then also feeling so depleted by some of the vandalism,” Truesdell said “For it to be expensive and difficult, I think that’s really hard.”

The dream is still alive. And it is growing. The newest addition to the space is a juice bar and cafe Truesdell opened in July. The crowdfunding campaign she ran gathered a total of $7,800 from 117 backers over the course of 17 days.

“It was something that I was really scared to do and was really happy that it went really well,” Truesdell said.

The idea for the cafe came from listening to her customers, and she says her goal is to have consistent options for grab-and-go meals while maintaining a balanced selection of bulk options. She downsized some of the bulk bins, added seating, and is hoping to add a soup of the day to the cafe’s usual sandwich and salad fare in the near future.

“My employees make fun of me because I’m always talking about soup,” Truesdell said. “As we come into colder weather, I’m very hopeful that the shop will be a really warm comfortable gathering place for people in the neighborhood.”

CHS reported here on the summer 2022 opening of The Naked Grocer and hopes its bulk bins, spice shelves, and fresh baked goods and produce would survive and thrive if only a fraction of the thousands of apartment dwellers who live within a few blocks of the store decided to add it to their regular routines around buying groceries.

Truesdell, who cut her entrepreneurial teeth working with Autumn Martin to grow Seattle’s Hot Cakes, transformed the space which was previously the longtime home of Capitol Loans which can now be found across the street. The goal was to achieve a low-waste retail grocery environment while keeping prices competitive to chains like PCC and also, Truesdell said at the time, meeting customers “where they are” by bringing the store to the expensive but densely populated blocks of Pike/Pine.

A year later, Truesdell continues to work to win customers and says she wants a chance to win a person back if they come in and are disappointed by the offerings or felt confused.

“I learned a lot about how awkward a transition from habits is,” she said. “I think a lot of people are intimidated by bringing their own containers. It’s definitely intimidating if you feel like you need to ask for help. I know a lot of people have anxiety around asking.”

The Naked Grocer is a good place to ask. And, before you know it, you might be helping another fellow customer learn a new grocery shopping routine.

Truesdell is hoping the store will grow sales by 10% a year, one customer at a time, attracted to variety in their shopping baskets, the promise of less waste, and, yes, maybe an avocado toast or some fresh juice. Currently, she is focusing on expanding her customer base by exploring online delivery options and gathering data through QR codes to see if it is something the community would be interested in.

But the simplest path to growth will be more people who live and work nearby stopping in and adding The Naked Grocer to their weekly shopping routines.

“I would love to see some more new faces,” Truesdell said. “If not now, when?”

The Naked Grocer is located at 620 E Pine. Learn more at nakedgrocer.com.

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