PCC Community Markets has revealed that it will open its long-awaited location in downtown Seattle on Wednesday, January 19 at 9 a.m., as the community recovers from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are delighted to welcome PCC to Downtown Seattle,” said Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes. “This is an exciting opening for thousands of people who live and work downtown, and it comes at a critical time when we seek to welcome more office workers and more residents than have ever called downtown. the city. 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. ” .
Along with the new store, the cooperative is also marking the growth of its membership program, which now has more than 100,000 members. While anyone can shop at PCC locations, members who pay a one-time fee of $ 60 receive a lifetime membership offering exclusive access to in-store deals, invitations to one-time events, partner company discounts with similar values, the ability to win for a potential annual dividend, and the opportunity to guide PCC by voting in its annual election to determine the board of trustees.
Downtown PCC store director Jai San Miguel, who joined the cooperative in 2020 and was recently the director of its Central District location, brings more than 20 years of grocery management experience to his latest role. “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,” said San Miguel. “As the primary source of groceries for a vibrant downtown area, we are excited to be a part of revitalizing the neighborhood and are committed to becoming a trusted member of the community where people come to enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up. day out with a friend on a lunch break and pick up dinner. “
The new store also provides job opportunities to the area, as well as career advancement for existing staff. In fact, 40% of the location’s leadership roles have been filled by existing employees who were promoted to support the store. PCC partners with UFCW Local 21, which has represented the cooperative’s non-managerial store staff for nearly 40 years.
As with the other grocery stores, Downtown PCC’s shelves are filled with food and non-food products made without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, nanotechnology, or synthetic biology. 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 store includes a fresh salad bar, a hot bar, and a hot soup bar, along with a made-from-scratch deli; a selection of organic products by 95%; 100% organic, non-GMO or grass-fed fresh meats, responsibly sourced fresh and frozen raw seafood; a self-service bakery with homemade items; 12 private label lines from local producers, plus nearly 200 supplements and vitamins packed in recyclable brown glass to keep fresh; a wide selection in bulk, including flour, rice and nuts; and a carefully selected selection of liquors 100% produced in the Pacific Northwest to complement its collection of signature wines and local beers and ciders.
Additionally, in collaboration with the downtown community, PCC created a new food access grant in downtown Seattle. The six recipients, each of whom received a $ 5,000 grant, were revealed last year.
The new store will feature house posts carved by Andrea M. Wilbur-Sigo, a member of the Squaxin Island tribe. His work, “The Way of Life” was created to convey the connection between people and the environment. Meaningful artwork is an important factor in meeting the requirements of the Seattle-based International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge Petal certification, the world’s most rigorous green building standard. The downtown Seattle location is the fourth PCC store to be Petal certified.
Using 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 Avenue.
Seattle-based PCC Community Markets 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. Its fresh organic seasonal food is sourced sustainably from more than 800 local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen. PCC operates 16 stores in the Puget Sound area, including the Washington state cities of Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle. The cooperative also plans to open new stores in Madison Valley and relocate its location to Kirkland.
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