Looking for Innovative Foodservice Success try Portland, OR

Sure Portland, Oregon has the next grocerant niche start-up grocery store that is most likely go public in New Season Market. Yes, Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson thinks that New Season Market is a better growth prospect than Whole Foods Market , Wegmans, or Sprouts Farmers Market. 

Yes, Johnson favorite concept grocerant niche retailer in the United States is in Portland, Oregon and that concept is Green Zebra Grocery as regular readers of this blog know.  Green Zebra Grocery currently has three stores open currently and a fourth in development.  

However there is another innovative grocerant niche concept that could prove as a formidable restaurant, convenience store, and even a grocery store sector disruptor. That concept is a vegan convenience store called Food Fight!  Ok, the name in this case tells the story.  Look out traditional retailers. 

Food Fight! recently opened its second location in Portland, offering products such as coconut bacon, vegan haggis and caviar, meatless jerky and a wide variety of other dairy products including meat-free products. What we like best about Food Fight! which will come as no surprise is its line of grab-and-go vegan sandwiches, whose product names include Lord of the Wings, Steak Bite Love and the Notorious B.L.T.

Food Fight!  owners Chad Miller and Emiko Badillo opened the first unit in 2003 after moving from New York City to Portland, when the husband and wife discovered they had to visit multiple stores to purchase all the vegan products they wanted.

"We couldn't get all the things we wanted in one store when we were grocery shopping so we just decided to go for it and open our own — and get super into credit card debt," Miller said. "We try to make it seem like less like self-flagellation, self-sacrifice and make it a bunch of fun food," Miller said. "You don't have to give up corn dogs."  Food Fight where you can get a ‘Better-for-You’ corn dog.  Now you know. 

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Green Zebra Expanding to Campus Location

Fresh fast food is hot it Portland, Oregon and Green Zebra Grocery is proving to be both a hot concept selling grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food that is ‘better-for-you’ and a hip food concept on the grounds of the campus of Portland State University.

Lisa Sedlar CEO of Green Zebra is pretty hip herself and is credited with helping drive New Seasons Market into a regional powerhouse while she was CEO of New Seasons. I call Green Zebra a Grocerant Go Getter and they call it a healthy convenience store, offering locally sourced and organic products to customers.

Lisa Sedlar the newest Green Zebra unit will open this “right in the middle of the Portland State University campus.  The new 4,200-s.f. store will focus on fresh fast food that is has the halo of ‘better-to-you’. It will offer healthy, fresh, local food options to our 28,000 students, 6,400 employees and neighbors—a much needed addition to the growing south end of downtown.”

Green Zebra at Portland State will offer local produce, a full deli and salad bar with healthy lunch and grab-and-go options, beer and wine, everyday grocery items, a coffee and tea bar, fresh meat and seafood as well as beer Growlers on tap and to-go. 

Green Zebra offers Indoor seating for customers to sit down for a quick bite or coffee, any time of day, and in any weather; beer growler fill up, a cooked-from-scratch kitchen so staff can prepare fresh, hot food offering three meals a day, delivery services so groceries can be delivered to more people throughout the city via Instacart; and catering for neighborhood business, offices and events.

Green Zebra is a hot and hip concept that currently works well in suburban yet urban locations but the team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that this new location will put Green Zebra on the top of the foodservice growth charts.  

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.