SEATTLE – PCC Community Markets (PCC), one of Seattle’s original supermarkets and the largest community-owned food market in the US, announced that it will open its downtown Seattle location on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 The cooperative brings its high product standards to the downtown community as the neighborhood rebuilds from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents and visitors alike can depend on the cooperative for quick take-out items for any meal, as well as a full range of grocery and healthcare needs where fresh, local, seasonal and sustainable food is always top priority.
“We are delighted to welcome PCC to downtown Seattle. This is an exciting opening for thousands of people who live and work downtown and it comes at a critical time as we seek to welcome more office workers and more residents than have ever called downtown. ”Said Jon, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association. Scholes. “PCC and its commitment to the community is representative of the spirit of downtown Seattle. Last year they stepped up and awarded grants to support access to food for area nonprofits and now they will open their doors to downtown residents and visitors with an excellent full-service supermarket in the neighborhood. ”
The cooperative kicks off the New Year by celebrating the upcoming opening of its 16th location and the continued growth of its membership program which now has more than 100,000 members. Anyone can shop at the co-op locations, but members who pay a one-time fee of $ 60 get a lifetime membership that offers exclusive access to in-store deals, access to unique events, discounts from like-minded partner companies, the ability to earn a potential annual dividend and the opportunity to guide PCC by voting in the Cooperative’s Annual Election determined by the Board of Trustees.
The PCC center will be led by the store director, Jai San Miguel, who joined the cooperative in 2020. Jai brings more than 20 years of successful grocery management experience to the cooperative and most recently was the director from the Central District of the cooperative. Location. San Miguel commented: “It is an honor for me to open our new location where my passion for team building and supporting our local communities can be a focus every day. As the primary source of groceries for a vibrant downtown area, we are excited to be a part of the neighborhood revitalization and are committed to becoming a trusted member of the community where people come to enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up. with a friend on a lunch break and pick up dinner. ”
The new downtown location brings new job opportunities for the community, as well as professional growth for existing staff. In fact, 40% of leadership positions are held by existing staff who have been promoted to support the new store. PCC partners with UFCW Local 21, which has represented the cooperative’s non-managerial store staff for nearly 40 years.
FROM GRAB & GO FOR EVERY MEAL TO ALL YOUR FOOD NEEDS
Downtown PCC residents and visitors can trust the cooperative’s shelves to be filled with products made without harmful artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, nanotechnology, or synthetic biology. Whenever possible, the cooperative sources its products from more than 800 local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen. Using those same ingredients, PCC chefs prepare fresh salads, soups, hot entrees and side dishes from scratch every day on site in the PCC kitchen. The cooperative also has one of the cleanest selections of health and body care products, rejecting more than 500 ingredients allowed at other retailers. The cooperative’s experienced staff can help you navigate the store which includes a fresh salad bar, hot bar, hot soup bar and also:
- Deli made from scratch: A selection of offers that can be taken to go:
- PCC Pizzeria for slices and whole cakes
- Hot and cold favorites to go like mac n cheese, organic oven roasted chicken, and a selection of antipasti
- Meals for two that come with a main course and a side with chipotle salmon cakes, linguine with meatballs, Parmesan chicken fingers, and turkey meatloaf
- Ready-to-heat family salads and casserolesincluding Black Bean Enchiladas and Organic Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Produces: Over 95 percent of PCC’s produce selection is organic and when Downtown PCC opens, it will stock up with seasonal citrus fruits ranging from tried and true satsumas to cocktail grapefruits, lemons and even limequats, a cross between a lime. and a kumquat. .
- Selection of meat and seafood: The fresh meats at PCC are 100 percent organic, non-GMO or grass-fed and fresh and frozen raw seafood is sourced responsibly as defined by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. The only exception is Chinook salmon, which is sourced in accordance with our more specific PCC Chinook Sourcing Standard.
- Bakery counter: The self-serve bakery features homemade items like PCC’s handmade chocolate chip cookies and freshly baked scones.
- PCC Private Label Collection: Enjoy 12 product lines from local producers like PCC Organic Chocolate from K’UL Chocolate in Bellingham, Wash. And PCC Organic Pastured Eggs from Wilcox Farms in Roy, Wash., As well as nearly 200 supplements and vitamins produced to the highest quality standards. and packaged in recyclable brown glass to keep cool.
- Bulk Food Selection: The smart, sustainable way to get – and pay for – exactly what you need with PCC’s bulk selection that encompasses everything from flours, rice, and nuts.
- Field Day staples with PCC standards: The cooperative offers this affordable line of project-verified certified organic and non-GMO pantry staples, including more than 150 items, from canned beans and extra virgin olive oil to peanut butter and oatmeal.
- Wine, beer and spirits: The cooperative features a carefully selected selection of liquors 100% produced in the Pacific Northwest to complement its collection of signature wines and local beers and ciders.
CULTURE AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS OF THE CENTER
PCC stores work with local food banks to expand food access programs in support of the communities they serve. By working with the downtown community to better understand how to meet their needs, the cooperative adjusted its food access program by creating a new food access grant in downtown Seattle. Recipients were announced last year, and the following six recipients received $ 5,000 grants to address food insecurity through the purchase of organic products: Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Northwest Harvest’s SODO Community Market, Pike Place Market Foundation, Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank, The Puget Sound Labor Agency Food Bank, and the Seattle Indian Health Board.
The cooperative also recently revealed that the new store will feature house posts carved by Andrea M. Wilbur-Sigo, a member of the Squaxin Island tribe. His work, entitled “The Way of Life”, was created to convey the connection between people and the environment. PCC works with local artists to create artwork that represents the location of each store, lifts shoppers’ spirits, and sparks thoughts and conversations. That work is an important component in meeting the requirements of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Petal Living Building Challenge (LBC) Certification, the world’s most rigorous green building standard. This location is the fourth PCC store to be Petal certified. Other elements of the green store at Downtown PCC include non-toxic and sustainably sourced building materials, materials reclaimed from other PCC stores, and high-efficiency electrical and plumbing systems.
The new downtown location will adopt all of the cooperative’s health and safety protocols to provide a safe shopping environment for staff, members and shoppers. The approximately 20,000-square-foot store is located in Rainier Square at 1320 4th Ave. and will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19.
About PCC Community Markets
Founded in Seattle in 1953, PCC Community Markets (PCC) is a certified organic retailer and the largest community-owned food market in the country with an active membership of more than 100,000 members. With an unparalleled enthusiasm for making food from scratch, PCC is a haven for those who share a dedication to fresh, organic and seasonal foods that are sustainably sourced from more than 800 local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen.
The mission of the cooperative is to ensure that good food nurtures the communities it serves, while cultivating vibrant, local organic food systems. PCC operates 16 stores in the Puget Sound area, including the cities of Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle. Seattle stores are located in the Ballard, Central District, Columbia City, Downtown, Fremont, Green Lake, View Ridge, and West Seattle neighborhoods. The cooperative also plans to open new stores in Madison Valley and relocate its location to Kirkland.