PLYMOUTH, Mass. -- Global Partners LP is calling all vegan, vegetarian, organic and gluten-free eaters with its new Alltown Fresh store in Plymouth, Mass. The concept aims to provide a clean eating alternative to the traditional convenience-store model. Eric Slifka, CEO of parent company Global Partners LP and admitted food label reader, said Alltown Fresh is the first c-store in the space to tediously source every SKU. “There is not one ingredient that we haven’t sweat over,” Slifka told CSP Daily News.
Check out what Alltown Fresh has in store for health-conscious consumers (and click here to see what else the new design offers) ...
The 4,800-square-foot store boasts a full kitchen, a feature that the company hopes will set the concept apart from other c-stores. “We didn’t want to do the same thing everyone else is doing,” Slifka said. Alltown Fresh’s menu includes millennial favorites such as Clean Green Avocado Toast, made-to-order with cage-free eggs or tofu, chia seeds, Himalayan sea salt and a choice of bread from the store’s neighbor Hearth’s Artisan Bakery. “Customers can see someone crack an egg in front of them, cook it, take some of that fresh bread from next door, toast it and put a little bit of avocado on it,” he said. The kitchen also offers global-inspired protein bowls and sandwiches, such as the Korean Kim Chi bowl and Veggie Palooza sandwich.
For a more frictionless experience, shoppers can customize their order from a touchscreen kiosk.
The store showcases four Swiss bean-to-cup machines, each with three types of beans to choose from. The blends are a combination of fair trade, organic and single source. A Connecticut coffee company roasts the beans and delivers them fresh each week. “We put a lot of effort in making sure those beans come from a local company,” Slifka said.
The dispensed beverage lineup also contains a mouthful of health and eco-conscious labels. Customers can quench their thirst with kombucha on tap, organic juices, non-GMO soda alternatives from Tractor Beverage Co., organic cane sugar, fair-trade soft drinks from Maine Root Beverages and smoothies. Like the rest of the menu, the smoothies are made without preservatives and additives; however, customers can choose to blend matcha power, flax seed powder and other additions into their smoothies to boost flavor and functionality.
With a goal to position itself as a neighborhood eatery, Alltown Fresh has had to set up a supply chain of local, health-forward products. For each item, the Alltown Fresh team looked up nearby companies, tasting and testing products and determining if they were a good fit, he said. The Waltham, Mass.-based company had to adjust some of its procurement processes to fit with its locavore strategy.
“Since we’re buying locally, we can take smaller quantities in,” Slifka said. “You do have to move volume or you’re going to have waste, but we also think it’s important, because consumers are asking for cleaner, local products.”
Each quarter, the c-store will feature a different local food purveyor, such as cheesemakers and winemakers.
Underlining the neighborhood element, the store has indoor and outdoor seating for customers and their furry friends, including Wi-Fi, phone charging stations, pet relief areas and leash hooks.
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