Hippie General Store

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What a morning – I was late getting out of the house, almost missed a meeting, and didn’t even have time to shower or eat breakfast.

 

I sat through the entire meeting with a loud, grumbling tummy (which prompted lots of awkward comments) and practically dashed out of there to get some food.

 

I headed right to the Hippie General Store, AKA Berrybrook Farms.

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I could browse the aisles of this grocery store/natural pharmacy/restaurant for hours!  So many fun and interesting things.  Plus, I love how the store looks like it’s been around forever.

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There’s even a LIP BALM section (I am obsessed with lip balm).

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I was only there today for a smoothie, however.  They also do fresh juices and make sandwiches and rice bowls in the store.

 

I picked the Nutty Protein, which was soymilk, banana, peanuts, carob, lecithin, and protein.

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This might have been the most delicious smoothie… ever.  It was the perfect late-breakfast-that-won’t-run-my-lunch.

 

I have a fun recipe coming up at lunch, as a matter of fact!  Butternut squash is involved.

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I love the Hippie General Store and wish Charlotte had more alternative stores and restaurants like it!  Although a lot of the restaurants are vegetarian- or vegan-friendly, there aren’t many purely vegetarian, local, or organic restaurants.  Hopefully that will change over the years!

 

Is there a big alternative, holistic, organic, local, or healthy living scene where you live?  Or do you feel like there just aren’t enough options?

{ 120 comments }

 

  • Michelle February 2, 2011, 10:41 am

    That store looks so cute!!! I live in Boston and there is a good amount of options, but none of my friends are really interested in going to them with me. 🙁 I’ve tried some of them, but it’s always more fun to go with people!

  • Ellie @ The Mommyist February 2, 2011, 10:44 am

    I live in Portland, Oregon so I have plenty of healthy options. You get spoiled living somewhere like this. I’m always shocked by the lack of options when I go visit family or friends in other parts of the country!

    • faith February 2, 2011, 8:08 pm

      I used to live in PDX too and it’s totally true, you get spoiled!

  • Amanda (Eating Up) February 2, 2011, 10:44 am

    I’m actually surprised by the lack of those kinds of stores in Chicago!

  • Stacy @ Every Little Thing February 2, 2011, 10:45 am

    We have a good amount of local health food stores around St. Louis. There’s one in my town called Green Earth Grocery that I need to try next week!

  • Kristina @ life as kristina February 2, 2011, 10:46 am

    We have a small store called feel rite-there’s another store an hour away that has more variety! I’d love more…but I can suffice with one!

  • Eliz@The Sweet Life February 2, 2011, 10:46 am

    What a cute, cute store! Love it.

  • Erin @ The Grass Skirt February 2, 2011, 10:46 am

    Thanks for taking pics of the inside of that store! I have lived in Charlotte for almost 5 years now and have yet to go inside. It has always made me so curious though! It looks adorable. There used to be a health food store across the street from there. It was kind of large like Earth Fare, but I think it might be closed now. I love discovering new holistic healthy fun places!

    • caitlin February 2, 2011, 11:44 am

      You should definitely go in!

      Healthy Home Market is now on South 🙂

    • Kirsten February 2, 2011, 12:17 pm

      Oh, Erin, you mean Talley’s Green Grocery that used to be off of East Blvd. It was sad when they closed. I’ve never been to Berrybrook Farms either. I’ll definitely go with you sometime!

  • Natalie @ Will Jog For Food February 2, 2011, 10:47 am

    That store looks SO cute! I live in Fort Lauderdale, and the movement towards healty/local is definitely growing but not 100% where it should be yet.

  • Carla @ Will Run for Health February 2, 2011, 10:48 am

    Oh that place is cute! I wish Clemson and Greenville had more alternative stores too!! I think that the South is slowly (VERY slowly) getting more and more natural/organic/local/ hippie places to shop. Sorry to hear about your awkward tummy grumbles. Totally been there and done that.

  • Caitlin @ TPL February 2, 2011, 10:50 am

    In my college town there is one hippie type store that’s sort of like a mini trader joes/farmers market/restaurant which is amazing! Although overpriced…. but other than that just wal mart =P.

  • Marie-JourneytoBodyZen February 2, 2011, 10:50 am

    That store looks so cool! We realllllly need something like that where I live! I lurv butternut squash…can’t wait for the recipe 🙂

  • Jenifer February 2, 2011, 10:53 am

    There is a growing number of places in Richmond… unfortunatly, nothing close to me at lunch time! The closest thing is a Martin’s which has a huge salad bar. I wish there was somewhere that did juices. I have a juicer at home, but I’m always nervous about how it will keep until lunchtime.

    • caitlin February 2, 2011, 11:47 am

      I am obsessed with Martin’s salad bar.

      • Jenifer February 2, 2011, 1:21 pm

        Lol.. me too! I’ve had it twice this week. I usually do the big container and am able to eat on it twice. Today was the end of my container for this week!

  • Ashley February 2, 2011, 10:53 am

    There are absolutely no options in my home town. Almost all of our restaurants are chains, and everyone is very meat and potatoes all you can eat oriented. Here in Wilmington is a bit better. I haven’t found any purely organic/veg friendly restaurants yet but I’m sure there are some just waiting to be discovered.

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) February 2, 2011, 10:55 am

    There are a good amount of health food stores near me. Not a ton of restaurants, but enough 🙂

  • Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles February 2, 2011, 10:56 am

    That store looks so fun! There are a lot of healthy alternative stores around here (Bay Area in California!). It’s fun to see how many people choose healthy lifestyles.

  • Jennifer (keepitsimplefoods) February 2, 2011, 10:56 am

    What an adorable little store. I live in DC so there are lots of great farmer’s markets in the area as well as a city-wide focus on eating sustainably. Heck, we even have vegetable gardens growing on rooftops! It’s great!

  • Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story February 2, 2011, 10:57 am

    There is one where I live but I’ve yet to actually go there and in this hicktown I do not have high hopes. :/

    However there is an AMAZING one in Greensboro (where I lived before here and where I consider “home” to be) called the Deep Roots Market. It’s AMAZING. I love it so much.

  • Krystina (Crunchy Granola Girl) February 2, 2011, 10:58 am

    Yes! I live in Western MA (Amherst/Northampton area) and there is a huge alternative/local/health food scene. It’s one of the things I actually love about this area. 🙂

  • Leanne (For Health's Sake) February 2, 2011, 10:59 am

    I wish there was a whole foods where I live. About 35 minutes from my house is a place called Planet Organic (organic grocery store) but I hear its ridiculously expensive. I also wish there was more then 1/2 an aisle in my grocery store devoted to organic stuff!

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) February 2, 2011, 11:00 am

    Yes there are here in Atlanta, but I live a little bit outside of it, so they really aren’t convenient. Can’t wait to see what you come up with for lunch!

  • Clare February 2, 2011, 11:01 am

    I live in the fittest and happiest (as rated by Forbes) city in America – BOULDER, COLORADO. It is glorious.

  • Chrissy (The New Me) February 2, 2011, 11:01 am

    I live in East Texas and our options for vegan/vegetarian dining are so incredibly limited. We do have two health food stores for which I’m very grateful, and I can buy most ingredients I need either there or through the miracle of the Internet. As for restaurants – nothing. On the bright side, moving here has given me a reason to learn to cook, and I’m actually a pretty good vegan chef if I do say so myself!

  • Katy (The Singing Runner) February 2, 2011, 11:03 am

    I honestly do not know if there are a lot of local, healthy food options here in Jacksonville. I do not go out to eat much, but I am definitely going to look into it more! 😀

  • Michelle February 2, 2011, 11:03 am

    Can’t wait for the lunch post- I have a butternut squash waiting!!! As for our health food store- it is good but there are only two so no price competions here!

  • Halley (Blunder Construction) February 2, 2011, 11:05 am

    There aren’t many hippie stores in Boston proper, but if you step just outside the city into Cambridge, MA.. you can find stores just like this one! I think that stores selling natural, holistic products are going to be ‘in’ soon, as more and more people make the switch to healthier lifestyles.

  • Alex @ Healing Beauty February 2, 2011, 11:05 am

    We have a huge whole foods nearby where my parents live in Colorado, but generally I feel there are not enough options. When I graduate college I hope to move to Boulder, Colorado where I know there will be more hippie places 🙂 The smoothie looks delicious!

  • Joanna@ Drizzle of Sunshine February 2, 2011, 11:06 am

    I love those kinds of stores! Quaint and cute. I’m obsessed with lip balm too and their selection looks AMAZE!

  • Kjirsten- Balanced Healthy Life February 2, 2011, 11:09 am

    We only have one organic/natural store where we live. I shop there for 85% of our grocerys and household items, but the only downside it the price. They are WAY overmarked and that leaves us with high grocery bills (so not fun).

  • Orla February 2, 2011, 11:13 am

    Love the sound of that smoothie!!! My own tummy is rumbling loudly. Thankfully I work alone in my office.
    No really good “alternative” stores in my area – other than a large chain store that overcharges for everything and only stocks canned tofu.
    Headed to Dublin tomorrow and picking up some tempeh for the first time. This makes me happy. Cannot find it locally. sad face!

    • Orla February 2, 2011, 11:15 am

      and by “alternative” I mean healthy, organic, natural and not totally processed out of its head!

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman February 2, 2011, 11:14 am

    The inside of that store reminds me of the inside of the store in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. I’d go there every day if Johnny Depp was working the counter.

  • Lauren February 2, 2011, 11:16 am

    There’s definitely a “hippie” feel to Burlington. There’s no Whole Foods but two good health/natural food grocery stores. There’s a big emphasis on organic and local foods around here too because of all the farms and farmers. I love that the dining halls on campus use local food for some of their meals, and there’s a vegetarian station and a vegan station at most dining halls/food places.

  • Kelly February 2, 2011, 11:17 am

    I hateeeeeee when my stomach is grumbling through meetings. I always chug water to try and make it stop. Then I have to pee.

  • Kristina @ spabettie February 2, 2011, 11:18 am

    yes Yes YES Portland has an AMAZING alternative, holistic and vegan / veg focus… it’s awesome. we have several co-op grocers that are really great (one looks like that store!!).

    if you have any influence on the location for HLS… *hint hint* 😉

  • Caitlin February 2, 2011, 11:19 am

    That smoothie sounds delicious. Peanut and peanut butter are the best in smoothies.

    Yeah the SF Bay Area is very into the local, organic, hippie stuff. It is easier to be a vegetarian in Berkeley than it is to be a meat-eater.

  • Janene @ One Run at a Time February 2, 2011, 11:23 am

    I live in the hippie capital of Ohio, and we have a great grocer cleverly named the Farmacy. It’s pretty frickin’ sweet – great, local & organic produce, a small but helpful book section, and lots of homeopathic and herbal remedies.

    We also have a lot of local/fair-trade/employee-owned restaurants: Casa Nueva, the Village Bakery, Catalyst Cafe, Donkey Coffee, our Farmer’s Market is the bomb, and the dining halls on campus are considered by the Sierra Club to be some of the most veg-friendly in the country!

    I’m planning on doing an Athens, Ohio foodie round-up post before I skedaddle out of here soon. Now you’ve got my gears turning!

    Man, I’m getting hungry.

    • caitlin February 2, 2011, 11:48 am

      Farmacy is the cutest name ever!!!

  • Liz @ Tip Top Shape February 2, 2011, 11:23 am

    My hometown is slowly coming around. We’ve had a Trader Joes forever but we just got some more smaller health stores. And we now have a little pita place that makes exciting juices/smoothies like the one you got! So…we’re movin’ on up in the health world 😀

  • jen @ taste life February 2, 2011, 11:23 am

    That store looks adorable. In the town where I live there aren’t a ton of options, but Asheville, about 30 minutes away, has a pretty decent selection of vegetarian food. There are also quite a few big healthy foods grocery stores and smaller coops, too. Love that.

  • Sara February 2, 2011, 11:25 am

    LOTS in nyc. i have a few good crunchy-ish ones by me :)NOT THAT cute though!!!
    xoxo
    s

  • Sara @ OurDogBuffy February 2, 2011, 11:25 am

    NOT enough options. I live in a suburb outside of Richmond, Va. and while there are options in the city, I don’t go there often, so we basically have local Italian joints,Chinese places and then chains. Boo.

  • Ashley (The Vegetable Life) February 2, 2011, 11:25 am

    I live in a really small, rural part of MA and there are zero options around at all! Theres a bunch when you head into the city, but mostly I just have to order sides when I go out to eat…

  • Nicole @ Geek Turned Athlete February 2, 2011, 11:30 am

    I am surrounded by hippieness!!! In fact, on Saturday I just went to a “Sanga” dinner that had a 30 minute meditation with about 20 people, then a vegan dinner afterwards. It was a great relaxing night.

    There is stuff like that happening all over the place in Spokane.

  • Stephanie February 2, 2011, 11:31 am

    Earthfare is my favorite store! It’s a little more corporate than just a locally owned store but their strict no GMOs, artificial flavors, etc guidelines and devotion to local produce are awesome. I will be sad if we ever move.

  • aubrey @ italktofood February 2, 2011, 11:38 am

    i just discovered the coolest store similar to the one you have about 15 minutes away.
    I love stores like that. Especially when it’s locally owned.
    I can wonder in stores likes that for so long.

    You’re smoothie looks so so so good. Anything thick and peanuty is amazing

  • Rachel February 2, 2011, 11:40 am

    cute store but…that smoothie was $5!?!!? holy cow!

    • caitlin February 2, 2011, 11:51 am

      I thought that was a good price – city living will do that to you!

  • Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table February 2, 2011, 11:45 am

    That sounds awesome! We are lucky to have several Arden’s Gardens here (in additions to 5,067 smoothie shops). The problem is more when you get outside the city. The options are limited by my office.

  • Sarah February 2, 2011, 11:56 am

    I live in Fayetteville NC right now and we have 3 health food stores. One is an overpriced wasted of space that smells bad, one is overpriced and has no fresh made stuff and the people are rude and the 3rd one is a smaller version of the 2nd. I miss where I used to live – I loved the HFS there!

  • sarah (sarah learns) February 2, 2011, 12:09 pm

    oh wow! i love the look of that store! 🙂 i’m living in madison, wi right now, and there is HUGE local and alternative culture here. i love it!!

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) February 2, 2011, 12:09 pm

    There’s a store very much like that in Pasadena, CA, but I don’t believe they serve any food…

  • Sarah February 2, 2011, 12:12 pm

    We have a few “health food” stores in my area, but I don’t think they make smoothies right there. We used to have one that did things like that, but sadly, they went out of business:(.

  • Amber K February 2, 2011, 12:14 pm

    I live outside of Portland, OR so it feels weird to complain about the lack of vegetarian options around me, but it’s quite a drive to get to any healthy places!

  • Camille February 2, 2011, 12:15 pm

    That smoothie looks incredible! I may have to try and duplicate it at home 🙂

  • Leah @ Why Deprive? February 2, 2011, 12:18 pm

    There definitely arent enough options around here. For groceries, there are lots of places I can go, but even then, unless I want to spend a small fortune my options are pretty limited. For places to eat, theres practically nothing. At least, nothing as fun as what I see on blogs. 🙂

  • Erica February 2, 2011, 12:27 pm

    There is absolutely nothing like that where I live. I am in a town with a population less than 1,000 and the closest Walmart/Kroger is 45 minutes away. We live in the middle of nowhere-ville. I am surrounded by nothing by meat and potatoes and the cloest thing I can get to a vegetarian option (which I am) is picking the grilled chicken off an iceberg lettuce salad. Please cry for me. This is why every time we go to STL, I head straight for Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and stock up…of course the amount of the “stocking” is determined by whether or not my hubby is with me that day 😉 But know that STL is also almost 3 hrs from our house, so it’s not real convenient; we go up there about once a month.

    Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE where I live, I just wish we had more food options and a cheaper cost! I hate having to drive 45 minutes to get my greek yogurt.

  • Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama} February 2, 2011, 12:27 pm

    There isn’t a big healthy/natural food scene where I live, especially when it comes to restaurants. I do have the absolute BEST natural/gourmet grocery store in the country! I <3 Dorothy Lane Market!!

  • emily February 2, 2011, 12:32 pm

    In my old neighborhood in Park Slope there were two hippie stores right next to each other and it was glorious! Now I live in Buffalo and people are more concerned with beef on wecks than fresh-made juice 🙁

  • Kara February 2, 2011, 12:32 pm

    We have a small health food store but their prices suck! It’s almost 6 bucks for a box of cereal?? I’d rather eat Kellog’s than pay that much! It is the only health food store around here though, although I can get some stuff at the commissary and it’s much cheaper!

  • Emilee Joy February 2, 2011, 12:37 pm

    I’m from the south side of Indianapolis and there aren’t any vegan or vegetarian restaurants around here. I always have to do the plan-ahead thing before I go out to eat to see if there’s even anything I can order at the restaurants we go to (I’m vegan).
    But, there are a couple awesome “hippie general stores.” Basically, small health food stores, within only a few miles from my house. The nearest Whole Foods is about 35 miles away, so I only go up there twice a month, but whenever I need something in between or I’ve forgotten to get something during my regularly-scheduled trips, I’ll stop by Nature’s Pharm or Country Nutrition and get some stuff. They usually have some pretty good sales and I love that the staff is so helpful. We need more places like this around the country.
    Now if only we could get a vegan restaurant or two!!

  • Kathleen @ Kat's Health Corner February 2, 2011, 12:38 pm

    That store is adorable!! Burt’s Bees Chapstick is my favorite!

  • Madeleine @ Stepping to the Bright Side February 2, 2011, 12:39 pm

    Yes! One of my favorite things about living in Los Angeles is the abundance of natural food stores. I realized the other day in fact that I’m completely spoiled- whenever I go into a standard American grocery store, I’m completely bummed (and sometimes semi-horrified) by the [lack of] selection!

  • Ashley @ Ashley's Adventures in Alaska February 2, 2011, 12:42 pm

    Anchorage luckily has a few organic and natural grocery stores, and a few restaurant options too! Several of the larger locally owned restaurants in town focus on local foods as well, which is pretty sweet! It’s nice to know that you’re not only eating Alaskan salmon but Alaska grown carrots and all else too! There’s a pretty large local/natural/organic movement here and I love it! There definitely weren’t options like this in the Texas hill country where I am originally from. The Middle Way cafe here is amazing– vegan cupcakes, juicing, Alaska grown produce… Just amazing.

  • Lauren @ vegerunner February 2, 2011, 12:47 pm

    Out here in Long Island, we have a few good grocery stores (Wild by Nature, Long Island) but the number of vegetarian/organic restaurants is really disappointing! Any readers in Eastern Nassau/Western Suffolk want to point me in the right direction?? 🙂

  • megan @ the oatmeal diaries February 2, 2011, 12:58 pm

    What an awesome place!! I mapquested it and it’s only ~30 minutes from me so I’m going to try to visit soon. Thanks for the recommendation! 🙂

  • Erin @ Big Girl Feats February 2, 2011, 12:58 pm

    I’m in Rhode Island and there is a good amount of veggie, vegan, gluten-free and organic options. It’s grown so much in the past 4+ years that I’ve lived here too – we have an awesome, awesome organization that runs farmer’s markets and delivers local produce to restaurants. We’re also on the coast and do have some local farms in the area, so it’s easy to get fresh seafood and veggies/meat. I think people have drummed up support for it in the past few years too, which always helps drive the production of it. Yay economics!

  • Ashley @ Will Run for Food February 2, 2011, 12:59 pm

    We don’t have a whole lot going on in general (oh small towns) but I do have a farm stand/market right down the road and I just discovered a green grocer not too far away!! Very exciting! 🙂 I could walk through it for hours…though the juice I bought was $8 and it was one of the cheaper options! Oh well…it’s worth it!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey February 2, 2011, 1:07 pm

    I always feel like there isn’t enough options where I live but that’s because I’m into the raw, holistic, vegan, etc. type stores and restaurants.

  • Ashley @ Thefitacademic February 2, 2011, 1:10 pm

    what a cute place!

  • Evan Thomas February 2, 2011, 1:15 pm

    I wish we had more hippies in Providence. You’d think with all the hipsters there’d be a ton of place like this, right? Not really. There’s one veg restaurant down the road in East Pawtucket, and they just opened up an amazing vegan/gluten-free bakery right next door. It’s about time we got some cool eating options.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat February 2, 2011, 1:18 pm

    Where I live there are a couple of small health food stores, and they tend to be willing to order in things if I ask and they don’t have it. Whole Foods is about an hour away, so I only go there if I’m making a trip to visit a friend or something (which is probably good for my wallet – don’t know what I’d do if there was one that was closer!! I’d be broke!)
    Can’t wait to see the butternut squash creation!

  • Gloria February 2, 2011, 1:26 pm

    Palm Beach, FL is exploding with raw, vegan restaurants and veg options. There are 2 all vegan restaurants (but no vegetarian.. kinda weird) and one of them is all raw, organic, gluten-free, and a mile away from my house… so I’m there all the time and my bank account is angry 🙂 We have multiple Whole Foods markets, local nutrition stores with lots of vegan food, community raw and vegan groups that hold monthly potlucks, and green market vendors who sell vegan cupcakes and muffins 🙂 When I first went vegan, all we had was a Whole Foods (30 min away) and the only thing I could order out was a salad!! Oh did I mention it’s 75 degrees and sunny here right now? I love it!

    • Caitlin February 2, 2011, 1:34 pm

      I hate you.

      love,
      Caitlin

      • Gloria February 2, 2011, 1:40 pm

        you won’t be hating the other 9 months out of the year when I’m drowning in the suffocating cloud of 90 degree temperatures and 8 billion percent humidity! I’d actually love some snow 🙁

      • Mastering Public Health February 2, 2011, 6:27 pm

        lol Caitlin, I hate to agree with you… 😉 but, Gloria, have you seen the weather in the Northeast lately? <3 Florida!

  • healthy ashley February 2, 2011, 1:28 pm

    We are DEFINITELY going there next time I visit!!

  • Samantha @ Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans February 2, 2011, 1:30 pm

    Toronto has a lot of great options for organic, vegetarian and otherwise healthy living food options both in grocery stor and restaurant format. The only thing that IS tough to find in this city is Greek yogurt (at least for me)

  • monicanelsonfitness February 2, 2011, 1:37 pm

    what a great store. I am in LA so I have the complete opposite!
    But back when I lived in CO and OR these adorable markets were much more common and I miss them a bit. 🙂

  • Lee February 2, 2011, 1:50 pm

    There are a lot of healthy, organic and vegetarian places here in Atlanta. I read a few months ago that it was the #4 most vegetarian friendly big city in the country.

  • Kiran February 2, 2011, 1:54 pm

    Love how cute the store looks.. Wish we had something similar here in Orlando!

  • Diana February 2, 2011, 1:54 pm

    Haha, I live in OKLAHOMA where a well rounded meal consists of BBQ or steak, potatoes, and lots of bread covered in butter. Being vegetarian here is difficult.

  • Taysa February 2, 2011, 1:55 pm

    I live in San Francisco, which may as well be called a hippie’s paradise. We have the most wonderful natural food coop just down the street that we ride our bikes too. It has a fantastic bulk food section, so we can buy everything from dried pasta to olive oil to peanut butter to shampoo and conditioner in bulk!

  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg February 2, 2011, 2:00 pm

    Altoona actually does have a good holistic/natural foods store. Thank goodness– as a vegetarian, I would die otherwise! Well, I wouldn’t die…but I wouldn’t be nearly as happy! 🙂

  • Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) February 2, 2011, 2:35 pm

    I live in southern Ca and there are MANY, many options. Right where I live in Irvine, there’s not many vegetarian/ vegan rest.’s, but there are more in neighboring cities. Irvine in a ‘planned community’ and only let chains set up shop here 🙁 which is sad bc I would love for a little hippie general store to open up !! We do have a Henry’s Market, WF’s and Trader Joe’s all within 3-4 miles of each other. woo hoo!!

  • Allison @ Happy Tales February 2, 2011, 2:38 pm

    Ah I LOVE Berrybrook Farms! I have been in a few times, and each time I find myself browsing the ailes. I usually don’t come out until 30-45 minutes later! I have yet to go Healthy Home Market… but I am actually hoping to hit that place up soon!

  • lauren February 2, 2011, 2:41 pm

    I think we have a lot of options on the surface – like each restaurant only has one vegetarian option. I’ve also been dying for a juice/smoothie place and there are none around here!

  • Joanne February 2, 2011, 2:43 pm

    No way is there enough options. We don’t have a Whole Foods Store. We don’t have a Trader Joes. Such a bummer!

  • Allison February 2, 2011, 2:46 pm

    There just aren’t enough stores like that in the Chicago suburb I am from!

  • cindy fearon February 2, 2011, 2:47 pm

    would love, love, love to have a little store like that here in san antonio, texas. unfortunately we have very little vegetarian options and i don’t think we have any all vegetarian/vegan stores.

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing February 2, 2011, 2:49 pm

    That store is SO CUTE! and the smoothie sounds AWESOME!

  • Stephanie February 2, 2011, 2:59 pm

    Love that store concept! I wish we had one. I’d go everyday for a smoothie just like that one. 🙂

    Can’t wait to hear about what you do with my friend bnut.

  • Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) February 2, 2011, 3:02 pm

    love how the store looks like it’s been around forever = me too!

    i live in the mecca of health food, and all things hippy dippy 🙂 Southern california, baby! There is always a TJ,s WFs, small health food store, farmers market, or independently owned store within a block or two, no matter where I am.

    I am truly blessed to have chosen to live here b/c i have lived in parts of the country where the nearest HFS was a two hour drive!

  • Parita@myinnershakti February 2, 2011, 3:07 pm

    Surprisingly, Tucson, AZ has lots of healthy places to eat and shop. I was shocked when I moved here. I don’t know if it’s a west coast thing or what, but it’s pretty awesome!

    And I know what you mean about not having breakfast and then ending up with a noisy stomach…hate it, especially when I have meetings first thing in the AM!

  • Alexa @ The Girl In Chucks February 2, 2011, 3:31 pm

    Your general store looks sooo cute! I live in San Francisco, so of course, I can get anything healthful I want and can walk to it easily. However, all of the places don’t always have the charm as a place like your “hippie store” has. 🙂

  • Stacey (The Home-Cooked Vegan) February 2, 2011, 3:37 pm

    I love that place! I’ve never tried their juice or anything, but I have been in to browse a few times 🙂 We have an “Organic Marketplace” in Gastonia that has a vegan-friendly cafe in the basement of it! I love going there, it feels like home.
    I do wish that we would get more vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants around here…maybe one day 😉

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) February 2, 2011, 3:43 pm

    Sadly stores like that are hard to come by in my town 🙁

  • Kacy February 2, 2011, 3:44 pm

    There’s a hippie store across the street from me, but I don’t go often enough because it’s so expensive. I love it though.

  • Lacey @ Lake Life February 2, 2011, 3:59 pm

    My favorite grocery store (Wegmans) has an awesome section called “Nature’s Marketplace” with all-natural, organic ingredients. They even have organic CLOTHES in this section!

  • Edwina February 2, 2011, 4:40 pm

    I live in a capital city in Australia so we have a few options… By I wish wish we had a whole foods 🙁 a lot of the organic stores are also overpriced- all the stuff I see on blogs costs a lot here so I have to pick and choose what I get! You also have to pick and choose our restaurants to get nice healthy fare. Having said that we have less chain restaurants. I wish I lived in Sydney though they have the most amazing vegan/vego restaurants and health stores. I’m not even vegetarian but I love the food at those places! Just have to wait till I head to Sydney (or America!) next for my fix

  • Sara February 2, 2011, 4:43 pm

    I live in Austin, TX, and there’s a juice/smoothie place here (that also sells sandwiches/wraps/salads) called Daily Juice that is completely vegan. The juices and smoothies are DELICIOUS! It is definitely a hippie place- I love it!

  • Katie @ peacebeme February 2, 2011, 5:04 pm

    When I was in high school and had such a raging metabolism, I used to get SO embarrassed when my stomach growled in class…

  • maria @ Chasing the Now February 2, 2011, 5:11 pm

    That sounds like the perfect store to me. I have a container of Burt’s in nearly everything!

  • kristin point February 2, 2011, 5:59 pm

    I have a few of those by me (15 mins) but they are SOOO expensive I save them for really great occasions and treats haha. One is RIGHT next to my gym it hurts to pass by but its like $7 for a small juice!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin February 2, 2011, 6:40 pm

    That store looks so cute! We have a few health food stores in my city and lately I’ve been discovering even more! But we’re seriously lacking in vegetarian/vegan restaurants. We only have one in the whole city!

  • Catherine February 2, 2011, 6:45 pm

    I live in Los Angeles (which seems to be the natural food/hippie store mecca 😉 and am actually down the street from a store called Erewhon but I’ve only actually been inside a couple of times.

  • MelanieF February 2, 2011, 6:52 pm

    I live in a city where we have 2 health food stores (small ones, but still) but we have no vegetarian restaurants. In Montreal though, you get a lot of vegetarian options, but that’s like almost 2 hours from me. 🙁

  • Jess@atasteofconfidence February 2, 2011, 7:19 pm

    That store is awesome! I do my local shopping at a farmers’ market:)

  • Jen February 2, 2011, 7:23 pm

    There’s a co-op market right down the street from me; everything is organic and nearly everything is local. It’s a bit pricier than other grocery stores and I mainly shop there for produce, but they also have a great hot bar and salad bar that I utiilize when I’m on my way to school.

    • Jen February 2, 2011, 8:28 pm

      Oh yeah and I live in Buffalo. I know, not exactly the first place you would think would have a large market for organic and sustainable food, but there are actually a lot of places around here that are vegan, organic, local, and surprisingly healthy! Along with the famous wings, of course haha.

  • Melissa February 2, 2011, 7:56 pm

    I’m a newbie blogger and I’ve wanted to take some photos of the insides of stores but I’ve been nervous. Do you ask the store owners first? Do you use your phone in these situations or small point and shoot camera or your nice SLR? Love your blog!

  • Juani February 3, 2011, 3:49 am

    My boyfriends’ sister goes through a tube of lip balm a week,she is super obsessed with it as well.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) February 3, 2011, 7:27 pm

    We have a small scene like that, but it is thriving and growing, and it makes me so happy!

  • April February 3, 2011, 9:16 pm

    I live in a town that has a store that is WAY behind the times. It’s cute, but very few options. A small organic market just opened and it has made all the difference in my shopping experience. I used to drive 20 minutes to get something decent and now it’s just around the corner. I think a lot of people in the town will have a slow time adjusting, but I am wishing the store owners the best of luck and will support them regularly to help keep them around!!

  • Hippie Shop March 22, 2011, 12:28 am

    I am going to Phish in Charlotte soon. If this is not to far out of the way I would like to stop and check it out. Organic is the best choice there is so many chems in the food now you dont know what you are consuming 🙁

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