Today, consumers are more thoughtful in to consider where their food comes from and the principles of the businesses that they embrace. New Seasons Market is a name that comes up frequently for people looking for quality, sustainable groceries with a little bit of local flavor. But have you ever wondered where was New Seasons Market was founded and how it grew into a regional favorite?
This post goes over the history of New Seasons Market, where it started, and what the local grocery store that everyone knows has turned into.
Whether you’re a regular there or just now considering your first trip to the grocer, the following deep dive will help you understand what sets New Seasons Market apart.
New Seasons Market Begins
Where was New Seasons Market founded? New Seasons Market was established in Portland, Oregon, in 1999. Since then, its reach has grown far more wide-ranging, but Portland continues to be the epicenter of the company’s spirit. With its liberal, eco-friendly ethos, Portland was the perfect city for a market focused on fresh, local, and sustainable groceries.
The three friends who founded it, Stan Amy, Scott Roseman and Brian Rohter, conceived a different kind of grocery store from the very beginning. They hoped to build a store focused on its community, local farmers, and local makers that gave shoppers a place to find healthier, more local food.
Their vision became New Seasons Market as we know it today: a place that knows meals are about shared moments and nourishing foods as enjoyable as they are healthy, and that food should never be taken for granted.
A Local First Vision
Since day one, New Seasons Market was a “local-first” store. But where was New Seasons Market founded that allowed such a vision to take root? While most grocers fill their shelves with international products, New Seasons had been very intentional about sourcing what they sell from within the local community.
This not only lessens the food miles but supports local farmers, fishermen and producers directly. But for Portland-area residents, the chance to discover goods that reflect the Pacific Northwest’s art, agriculture, and food scene is one reason why New Seasons is different.
Each New Seasons Market, according to the company’s numbers, sources about 25% of its products from local vendors. Seasonal produce, baked goods, craft drinks, and even eco-friendly home goods are part of the mix.
A Novel Way of Being in Community
Arguably, what sets New Seasons Market apart is how it breaks bread with the communities it calls home. The founders were always convinced food stores could be more than just food stores. It could have been a place to connect, learn and give back.
Here is how New Seasons creates community connections:
- Community Giving: Every store forms partnerships with local nonprofits to donate a portion of its sales in support of such causes as hunger relief, environmental preservation, and youth programs.
- Welcoming Stores: The in-store experience is warm and inviting, with friendly employees, tastings of local food products, and free cooking classes.
- ‘Lift up the little guy’: Not only does the business sell local products, it partners with local small farmers as they grow their businesses.
And all of this traces back to the founding mission established in Portland. So, when you ask where was New Seasons Market founded, you also uncover the roots of its values.
Expanding Beyond Our Home Market of Portland, Ore.
A local grocery source for sustainably produced food is New Seasons Market, which has become a fixture of Portland and has expanded to surrounding states. But always remember where was New Seasons Market founded — in the heart of Portland — which shaped the brand’s ethos.
While they have expanded throughout Oregon, Washington and Northern California, the company has successfully kept the neighborhood feel.
There is something distinct to the individuality of each store. New Seasons in the San Francisco Bay Area does, for instance, incorporate Californian goods and flavors, while stores in Oregon highlight the agricultural abundance of the Pacific Northwest.
Growth is a challenge, certainly, but New Seasons has stuck to its founding principles. They’ve added more ambitious sustainability initiatives on a broader scale and stepped up efforts to reduce food waste and source responsibly.
Why Shoppers Go Crazy for New Seasons Market
Ultimately, what’s kept New Seasons Market relevant is how it has managed to prioritize quality, break new ground, and care for its community with equal fervor. Here’s what’s commonly to like:
- Organic, Locally Sourced Food: From organic veggies to grass-fed meats, consumers can be sure they are getting some high-quality products.
- Friendly Staff: The employees at New Seasons are both friendly and informed. Whether it’s a wine pairing recommendation or recipe suggestion, they’ll always chat with you.
- Mission-Minded Practices: New Seasons’ values and mission-driven approach to conducting business leave shoppers feeling good about where their money goes.
- In addition to your groceries, New Seasons frequently does a subtle job of reminding you of the value of ethical consumption. To support a business like theirs is to vote for not just healthier eating but also the financial health of the local farmers and craftspeople who supply them.
- And to think it all began with the question: Where was New Seasons Market founded?
A Legacy Born in Portland
It’s difficult to think about Portland, Ore., without thinking about its robust food and arts scene. New Seasons Market fits that story perfectly, providing Portland with a grocery store that has our values on sustainability, community, and creativity in mind.
The company’s founders wanted to build a different kind of grocery store, a goal they achieved with a place that, through the years, has helped lessen boundaries between local businesses, like their own, and their customers.
Where was New Seasons Market founded makes all the difference—it shaped the vision, culture, and community-first mission that still guides the company.
Next time you’re at a New Seasons Market, remember its grocery-store roots, and have some fun daydreaming about the mark it will continue to make across the West Coast.
Bringing Local Goodness to Your Kitchen
At New Seasons Market, we’re more than a grocery store. If you believe in their mission, visit a store or check out their website to find new, sustainable groceries that brighten every meal.
So the next time someone asks, “Where was New Seasons Market founded?”, you’ll know the full story—and why it still matters today.
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