DENVER — As the King Soopers strike continues into its second week, Coloradans have turned to local grocery stores that cater specifically to their communities.
At Leevers Locavore, an employee-owned grocery store nestled between Denver's Highlands and Sunnyside neighborhoods, marketing director Chris Epp believes people want to support local businesses who reinvest into the community.
“As consumers, we have the ability to vote with our dollars and vote for our values and what we believe in,” said Epp. “I think if you believe in small business and unique neighborhood opportunities, then this is a great place for you to shop.”
Leevers Locavore focuses on natural foods and local sourcing, hosts three separate restaurants inside the store, and offers community events like a daily happy hour and occasional live music on the weekend. It also hosts charity events for local schools and food banks.
“It’s our responsibility to give back to the communities that we serve in any way possible,” said Epp. “What makes a neighborhood a neighborhood is these small, unique stores and shops.”
Park Hill Supermarket has been feeding the Park Hill neighborhood for 11 years. Before it came along, the area was a food desert, meaning there weren’t any grocery stores in the area.
“In this neighborhood, we noticed that most of the people are from middle to low incomes,” said May Zhang, manager of Park Hill Supermarket. “Most of our product is actually lower cost compared to other grocery stores.”
Park Hill Supermarket caters to the neighborhood it serves, focusing on international foods that its customers seek out and at prices people can afford.
“It’s not controlled by big corporations where they set the prices for you,” Zhang said. “[For] a small company like us, prices are set lower for people to afford it."
Over in Lower Downtown (LoDo), Pacific Mercantile Company prospers because of the community it supports. It was founded in 1944 by George Inai, who moved to Colorado after incarceration in a California internment camp. Former Colorado Governor Ralph Carr welcomed Japanese-Americans to the state, and Inai decided to move his shop to Denver.
“It’s not just a grocery store,” said Inai’s great-granddaughter and store manager Alyssa Noguchi. “It’s somewhere where they can see other people in the community and connect.”
Four generations later, Pacific Mercantile Company is still offering fresh produce, meats, sashimi, and other Asian foods.
“I am grateful to have the Denver community keep wanting to shop in our store,” said Naguchi. “Because without them, we couldn't be here.”
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