A 10-minute walk that’s worth taking this winter is the one to Mrs. Green’s on 555 W. Webster Ave.
It’s safe to say that the Whole Foods on the corner of Fullerton and Sheffield will not in fact be “coming soon,” as the signs suggest it will be. The abandoned building set to be up and running in 2015 has left DePaul students with very little options on where to get their food outside of student dining.
While waiting for the Fullerton space to rejuvenate, DePaul students could perhaps walk down Lincoln Avenue. Mrs. Green’s, a grocery store that has been under construction since last summer finally opened on Nov. 15, 2013. Mrs. Green’s offers 100 percent organic produce, a bakery, deli and coffee bar, all natural vitamins and supplements and specialty diet samples.
According to their website, Mrs. Green’s is “a neighborhood store, passionately committed to clean, natural foods. Dedicated to health and sustainability. Devoted to customers who care deeply about the foods they eat.” The store understands local food is fresher and supports local farmer markets and artisans. The store also buys from suppliers who practice sustainability.
“We believe in taking care of the Earth. We source the best local products whenever available – from your favorite groceries to produce and baked goods, we support local,” according to the website.
With the local produce, all of the food is organic and uniquely prepared. Alongside the shelves stocked with gluten free products hearty grains and fresh dairy products, are food bars with food instantly available. A salad bar with fresh fruit occupies the middle of the store next to the soup station where you can get anything from Minestrone to Beef Chili.
Food bars line the back end of the store where the food-educated employees are readily available to talk about the contents of the food or to promptly whip up a handcrafted sandwich or specialty dish. The store also features a bakery with overwhelming choices and a juice bar with much the same.
Mrs. Green’s on Webster is the first one to open in Chicago, but another one is opening soon on the North Side of Chicago, replacing the old grocery store of Fox and Obel that was once there. Other Mrs. Green’s stores can be found in Connecticut, Philadelphia, and New York.
Juan Guzman, a Mrs. Green’s employee, says Mrs. Green’s is different from other stores.
“We’re fully organic and natural. Other stores have conventional products- conventional meaning normal,” Guzman said.”
We have ABF meats, which is antibiotic free; the chicken is organic and is not cross contaminated with any conventional products. All of our fish is wild cut. Our bakery doesn’t have any preservatives added – there’s no food coloring.”
Although Mrs. Green’s just opened recently on Webster, Guzman has been with the company for three years. He used to work at a restaurant in Skokie, which was like the Mrs. Green’s grocery store, but there was also a place inside the store where you could readily eat the food. Guzman says there are currently 18 stores.
Guzman says Whole Foods Market is the main competitor of Mrs. Green’s and that their pricing is somewhat similar with a few differences here and there. Mrs. Green’s employee Huda Alkhateeb though says there are differences in the food.
“Whole Foods sells Cheerios that you can get at Jewel but you won’t find that here at Mrs. Green’s.”
But how Mrs. Green’s separates itself the most is with its calm atmosphere.
On any given Saturday, the store lacks the aggravating hustle and bustle of the common grocery store like Jewel Osco or Trader Joe’s. Instead, Mrs. Green’s is peaceful and relaxing to shop in. The aisles aren’t overwhelmed with people grabbing loafs of bread, and the lines to checkout do not snake around the whole store. Mrs. Green’s also separates itself with its foundation based on customer-service.
“We are really customer service oriented,” Minta Watts, an employee at Mrs. Green’s, said “It’s really cool because at other jobs usually a manager walks by and gives you the evil eye if you are chatting with a customer. But here, they love to see you interacting with guests. It’s such a nice atmosphere. The managers are very real and down to earth.”
Watts said she loves the connections she makes with the customers.
“People trust us and we want them to trust us. The people that come here are from the neighborhood and we love seeing the same people,” Watts said.
Olivia Johnson, a student at DePaul University, currently works at Mrs. Greens and has been working there since its opening in November. Johnson says she enjoys working there because of its calm and welcoming environment.
“There is a good atmosphere at Mrs. Green’s Natural Market. True to its name, the store feels more like a neighborhood market than a big grocery store,” Johnson said.