From its humble beginnings inside a Newport Avenue ice cream parlor, and then a nearby beach cottage in the late 1960s, the Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market has blossomed into a two-level space designed to whet appetites. Though in the coming year, its 12,000-plus stakeholders will see further development in the form of a vegetarian restaurant and organic juice bar on two adjacent properties the market acquired.
“We’re responding to a growing trend and the demand from our owners for a healthy dining experience,” says General Manager Nancy Cassidy. In the spirit of a true cooperative, staff and customers are termed as “owners” because they invest $15 a year into the operation. The reward is a full-fledged grocery store brimming with more than 200 different types of organic produce and hundreds of other goods free of animal products, with the exception of dairy items. (Think Whole Foods, but minus the meat department and with 90 percent of the edibles ranking as certifiably organic.)
Non-members are permitted to shop at the board-run store at “ownership prices” on their first visit. But they face a 10 percent surcharge on their total grocery bill in each subsequent visit until making the annual investment. The co-op transitioned into the new century 14 years ago with a fresh two-level structure on the existing grounds it ultimately secured in 1973, at 4765 Voltaire St. After continued growth, the old building was torn down in lieu of an energy-efficient “green” edifice designed by local architectural firm, Hanna Gabriel Wells.
Last year the market purchased a duplex on the east side of its parking lot. More recently, it acquired Tiny’s Tavern one address away.
In addition to opening a vegetarian restaurant and juice bar in those spaces, Cassidy says the expansion might also embrace a demo kitchen for cooking classes, which would serve as an extension to plant-based food lectures the market conducts regularly on its second floor, directly across from its sit-down deli and coffee lounge.
“We don’t have a firm timeline yet and we haven’t completely figured out what’s possible with the architects and city planners,” she says. “But we will be developing both properties in the foreseeable future.”
The current building, she assures, will remain a hub for organic food, art shows, music events and lectures, much like what some of the market’s original founders envisioned decades ago. Among them were OB residents David and Joanna Diehl and Jim Somek, who went on to launch Jimbo Natural Foods.
In regards to what’s in the aisles, Cassidy notes that “more than 90 percent of the produce comes from within a day’s drive.”
The store is also committed to “meeting or beating” the prices of its competitors on at least 50 percent of the stock, which spans from farm-fresh rainbow carrots and caracara oranges to organic beer and wine, smoothie boosters and non-toxic detergents. For customers preferring to grow their own produce, organic seeds for planting things like dinosaur kale, black radishes and other vegetables are available as well.
“We’re really not so much about pricing as we are about quality and our connection to the community,” she adds.
The store holds customer-appreciation days about 12 times a year, when special price breaks are offered on various goods. Or for those undecided on whether to jump into the ownership pool, the staff regularly conducts full, informative tours of the space and its many hidden treasures.
For more information, call 619-224-1387 or visit www.obpeoplesfood.coop.
