Smart Mart, 400 Main St., an organic grocery mart, opened up December 7th.
We asked the owner five questions about their new business and here’s what they said:
What is the primary focus of your business?
To be able to provide affordable, healthy, organic, and local food for the people of Racine. Especially the downtown area.
Why did you start your business?
Downtown Racine is a food desert by definition. There’s a lot of options for sit down restaurants but no grocery stores, I’m also a firm believer that if you eat right you’ll increase the quality of your life.
What makes it special?
Everything about this store is organic. We did this off of a limited budget and did all of the renovations ourselves. I’m a Racine native and so are my employees, we want to give back to the community and provide the healthiest food options for people of every walk of life. Organic food is always more expensive but I’m going to make sure that everybody can eat healthy if they so choose.
Why did you choose your location?
Whey chai is a historic building. I’ve known about it since a kid, I’ve always loved the building. Being in a position to put my store in a building I’ve always seen growing up is super cool to me. Also the fact that downtown is a food desert was a huge factor.
What can your customers expect when they come to your establishment?
Healthy food options, supplements, meal replacements, spices, and very soon local meats.