New heathy groceries store opens in Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – More organically grown fruits and vegetables, non-GMO and gluten free foodstuffs are some of the products offered at a new grocery store that has opened its doors in Brownsville.

And shoppers from all walks of life are expressing satisfaction for having an alternative place to buy a wide array of items that have not been available locally.

“It was about time?” “Long overdue?” “Awesome?” “Incredible.” “Fantastic,” were some of the remarks people said during the grand opening Tuesday of Natural Grocers – a Colorado-based health food chain that has been in business since 1955.

Some brave shoppers even camped out the night before to wait for the doors to open, despite the freezing temperatures the area experienced early Tuesday morning.

Brownsville resident Allan Guard, who emerged out of the store with several items he bought as one of the first customers, said he is glad to have the opportunity to buy healthier products.

“I would like other grocers like Whole Foods,” he said,” but it’s good to now have a store like this one.”

Inside the store, a different picture emerged.

Scores of shoppers could be seen browsing, reading labels and grabbing what some of them came looking for.

Some of them took healthier fruit juice, veggie burgers and pizzas and some of the many plant-based products.

A lady said some items were a little pricier than she is used to buying.

Others did not complain, saying such products like the organically grown ones are more expensive than the regular ones at other larger stores – like H-E-B, for example.

“Avocados for 99 cents?” said Alma Herrera. “They are going for $2.50 somewhere else.”

Katie Macarelli, public relations director for Natural Grocers, presented a check to Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. (Photo: Antonio Vindell/RGG)

The store grand opening drew the attention of several elected officials with the Brownsville City Commission and from representatives of some non-profit organizations.

Among them were City Commissioners Rose Gowen and Tino Villarreal.

“It feels friendly here,” Gowen, an advocate for having a healthier community, said. “This is good for our people.”

Villarreal said this is something they have been hoping to have here and he added people no longer need to go elsewhere to buy such products.

Katie Macarelli, public relations director for Natural Grocers, said the Brownsville store is the 24th the company has in Texas and the first in the Rio Grande Valley.

”We have been looking for the Brownsville market for last the 25 years,” she said. “We did not expect this (turn out) on account of the weather. This is an epic day for us.”

Macarelli said Natural Grocers has been prioritizing the organic industry since its inception more than five decades ago.

In addition to that, the new store has created 20 new full-time jobs and has an on-site nutritionist to work with the community.

And as a token of appreciation, they made a donation of $2,500 to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley.

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