The typical convenience store in New York City is piled high with potato chips, candy bars, and may even have a deli counter serving up processed meat-stuffed subs.
But a new take on the classic bodega - imported from LA and aimed at health-conscious millennials - has opened in the city, offering only healthy, better-for-you options.
The Goods Mart recently opened in New York City’s Soho neighbourhood, after the success of its California outlet.
To see what it was like to shop for snacks in a convenience store that only offers foods with no artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners, we stopped by the 189 Lafayette Street store - which opened just three days ago.
When we arrived, we were greeted by The Goods Mart founder, Rachel Krupa, and a cashier. Thankfully, there were no others in the store as it would have made it difficult to manoeuvre in the surprisingly small space. It's tiny, even by New York standards.
On one wall, refrigerators store various kombucha flavours, canned cold brews, coconut water, and CBD-infused beverages with interesting flavours such as strawberry-lavender.
Vegan cheese-wheels, bottles of Pellegrino, and a selection of cold sandwiches are also available.
In the middle of the store, on the “lazy Susan,” lays a spread you would never find in your typical convenience store or NYC bodega - a hand-picked selection of goodies including artisanal $9 chocolate with rose petals, whole squashes, sweet potatoes, jars of granola and sandwiches.
The counter also holds $15 flower bouquets from Gem Fleuriste, a “little NYC-based floral company” and metal straws.
When we arrived, around 5pm, most of the sandwiches were gone.
The rest of the space is taken up by healthy chips, KIND bars, lots of rice-based snacks and organic slushies from Kelvin Slush Co.
Most of the prices are surprisingly reasonable for health food, with a cup of coffee costing just $1.25.
According to Krupa, 38, the founder of Krupa Consulting, a “boutique food and wellness PR firm,” she came up for the idea for The Goods Mart for two reasons.
“There was a void in the market and I love snacks,” she told The Independent of the millennial-friendly store.
After growing up in “a small town in Michigan” where everyone went to the local convenience store “where you knew everyone and it made you happy and you got the things you needed,” Krupa decided she wanted to replicate that community-driven feel but in a “socially-conscious” way.
A “neighbourhood community-driven place with really good quality food that doesn’t sacrifice taste but also has that lovingness,” she described it as.
And at The Goods Mart, there is no guessing whether a snack is the “lesser evil” of two options - as all of the 200 options are good for you.
As for the response to the new store, Krupa told us that after opening on Monday, it’s been “off to a great start.”
“Everyday it’s just getting busier and busier,” she said.
Before we left, we bought a packet of Justin’s organic dark chocolate peanut butter cups, which we struggle to find at other stores in the city.
We’d be interested in returning to The Goods Mart, if only just to try the delicious-sounding sandwiches, such as "the Goods" from Alidoro - specially made for the store.
But if we’re looking for something to satisfy our cravings, we’ll likely choose our corner bodega.
