Source: NC BUSINESS NEWS WIRE, 12/12/17

Food Matters Market is changing the way North Carolina grocers interact with their surrounding communities this holiday season and throughout the year.

Founded in Brevard, North Carolina, in 2012, Food Matters Markets features locally grown and organic food, as well as natural health products, supplements and in-store cafés.

Despite the full lines of fresh foods, gluten-free products and full-service departments, the grocery store focuses on other community efforts: sustainability, charity and customer orientation.

Quality food, sustainable materials
“Everything we carry has to be certified and sustainably, humanely raised,” said Sam Lee, general manager of the Brevard-based location.

Each café uses all-natural cheeses and meats that are anti-biotic and hormone free, contain no preservatives, artificial ingredients, MSG, nitrates or nitrites. Dishes are also served in reusable bowls made from 100 percent recycled yogurt cups.
By supporting local farms, the company remains community and family oriented and economically conscious.

According to its mission statement, the company prioritizes helping the local economies and preserving the surrounding natural resources.

'A lot of little things’ 
Besides the company’s product offerings, Food Matters Market works with local charities throughout each community it serves.
Between the three North Carolina locations in Brevard, Hickory and Morganton, Food Matters Market represents six different organizations.

One of the Morganton location’s primary, yearlong partnerships is with Burke County United Way, a non-profit organization focused on education, health and financial stability through community efforts.

The company is also currently working with Burke United Christian Ministries, another non-profit organization that offers people in need meals and counseling, as well as financial and clothing assistance.

“If we have an excess of something that’s going to go out of date, or is out of date, we jut shift that product onto them [Burke United Christian Ministries] and they use that product to feed people in their soup kitchen,” said Philip Hunt, general manager of the Morganton-based Food Matters Market.

Two store-specific efforts include the Button Program and the Peanut Butter and Jelly Campaign.

“If you bring in your own shopping bags, for each bag you bring in, we give you a button and that represents a donation of five cents to a local charity,” said Hunt.

Customers can choose from one of the six charities that Food Matters Market currently represents.

The buttons are tallied monthly, and at the end of the year, Food Matters Market gives each charity its total amount raised in cash.

Through the Peanut Butter and Jelly Campaign, the grocery store takes food donations to help feed troubled children in the area.

“It’s just peanut butter and jelly, and folks can buy the products here in store or they can bring their own from other stores and we just help feed the kids,” said Hunt.

While the Peanut Butter and Jelly Campaign is temporary, the Button Program will be a yearlong effort.

Food Matters Market is also currently working with the annual Toys for Tots Program through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
“With each store having its own community and own needs and entities, we just do our own thing in each city,” said Hunt.

Expanding while remaining customer oriented
Although Food Matters Market has future plans to expand, nothing is concrete.

“We are obviously going to expand, we just don’t know where to,” said Lee.

In August 2017, the company filed a Form D to raise $400,000, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company declined to disclose what it intended to do with the funds.

As the first fundraising effort by Food Matters Market, the offering, in the form of debt, was not made in connection with a merger, acquisition or exchange offer.

Food Matters Market not only carries local products and advocates for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle but also is well known throughout the community for its products that are unique to each area.

“A lot of our customers live a healthy lifestyle and are concerned about the impact of their buying experience on the environment, the green-thing,” said Lee.

With competitive pressure from Whole Foods, Earth Fare and other healthy supermarket chains, Food Matters Market primarily focuses on its customer service and staff knowledge.

“We have a very small staff, but they know an incredible amount of information about the products,” said Hunt.

“Even cooking, how to handle the products, things to pair them with – it’s just a great general knowledge of food and we’re available all the time to help any customer who has questions or if we can help them find anything,” said Hunt.

“We actually go through the store seeking people to see if they need anything,” he added.

“I don’t think you can find that in any other supermarket in the area, and actually not in any other supermarket that I’ve ever been in.”

Michael Cianciarulo, chief executive officer and co-owner of Food Matters Markets, has extensive experience in the health supermarket industry. He previously worked for Gooding’s Supermarkets and was the CEO of Earth Fare between 1998 and 2008.

From a consumer’s perspective, the communal focus and customer attention is what draws them in.

“Food Matters Market fosters its own sense of community within the store by offering a small gathering area of when people want to eat their meal from the café,” said Savannah Putnam, a Morganton-based customer.

Each location has its own café that serves dishes ranging from sandwiches, soups and salads to sushi at the Brevard location. The grocer also has a grab and go section that provides ready-made dishes for its customers.

While the café menu generally remains the same throughout locations, it varies slightly due to local options and availability.
“I really like how there’s a lunch bar available where I can go and get a fresh sandwich or salad,” said Putnam.

“I also really like that they offer paper bags instead of plastic at no extra cost.”

A unique store experience
According to each general manager, the biggest difference between all three stores is the demographic they’re sitting in.
While each store is family-oriented and sees customers of all ages, the majority of Food Matters Market visitors, as well as product offerings, parallel the demographics of each town.

Specifically, the Brevard and Morganton locations attract customers between their thirties and those nearing retirement age, resulting in more popularity toward local meats and produce.

“We’d like to expand on that and get younger people in here, but it’s still relatively new to the area,” said Hunt, regarding the Morganton store.

Due to a more diverse population and increased market competition, the Hickory location needs a slightly different product offering in order to compete with larger grocers in the area.

“We all do well, we just do things differently,” said Hunt.