Grocery shopping. A habit, a necessity, part of our daily and weekly lives. In Austin, we’re lucky to have many options of where to grocery shop from the big shops to small gourmet ones, to full-on culinary/shopping/dining experiences like Whole Foods and Central Market to everything in between. Farmers markets like the Sustainable Food Center markets and even the funky East Side HOPE Farmers Market have also gained major traction in recent years for obvious reasons, like the local-loving culture that exists in and impacts Austin. The basic ritual of seeking out and purchasing food products that support our sustenance is changing. How so? Well for starters, the fact that you can eat in a grocery store (and no, we don’t mean eating the groceries you put in your cart as you shop) means that these sellers of food/drink are trying to find new ways to attract customers and keep them in the store as long as possible. In fact, I’ve often wondered what the average number of purchases is for a customer at the downtown Whole Foods Flagship Store. I think my average is two. I’ve definitely walked around, met a friend for lunch or dinner or coffee, then realized I needed something to take home with me and have even checked out with the same employee both times. Ha, one time, my family had morning coffee then sat outside talking for so long, we eventually went back for round two and ate lunch there. 

What else is changing for the grocery shopping experience? How you gather the items you want and transport them around the store, from the store, and home. Like green bags. You know, the ones we sometimes forget we need until we get to the store, then see signs reminding us to bring them. But, they’ve been around long enough that now they’re becoming a consistent and integral part of the grocery shopping process. Grab the bags before you head to the store or keep them in your car. There’s even been a recent debate and study about the cost of producing, recycling, and handling plastic grocery bags in an effort to ban them in Austin grocery stores. 

Here’s a new trend that’s growing strong roots here in Austin and it’s already attracting lots of eyes as it leads the way: no container, zero waste grocery stores. Unpackaged is already doing it in London, but in.gredients is the cutting-edge Austin trailblazer that’s in progress as we type. 

I had the pleasure of meeting one of the founders, Christian Lane, recently and he was kind enough to show me around the space at 2610 Manor Road (it’s mostly a shell right now but it’s taken lots of work to get it that way), and to share details about what is to come for this beyond-resourceful East Austin hub. Here is what I learned!

- Volunteer Days. So far, in.gredients has hosted 5 volunteer days, where they took out sheet rock that was recycled, removed insulation which is stored in a shipping container for reuse, prepped the space for wiring and remodeling, and made repairs to the playscape.

- Expansion. They’re expanding part of the house-like structure to include a functional use area (storage, cleaning, etc.) and restrooms.

- Added Extras. There will be a covered porch, stools where customers can grab a seat and a drink or a snack.

- Exterior. The outside will feature mammoth picnic tables where former strangers can become friends to create community.

- Compact Space. The size of the interior (the grocery store) is modest, but Christian says this is on purpose. “We’re going after density and the micro-grocer concept.” His wife is an interior designer so she helps with designing the space, which takes craft because they’re getting creative in the cozy spot. He also mentioned having a small space forces them to be resourceful and sets boundaries. (And there are many! in the spirit of reducing waste and disposable container usage).

- Interior. The inside will feature a deli counter, a dairy fridge a protein freezer, beer/wine. It’s supposed to serve as a community cornerstore, it’s near two bus stops and will have a bike path were riders can glide right up to the store. If you’re like me and you’re wondering how wine/beer are served containerless, they’re not. They’re just served disposable containerless. You can purchase a growler or bring your own wine bottle to fill or drink it in shop/on the patio.

- The Products. There’s a huge local products focus with produce, meats, proteins being sourced locally, as well as unique products like a cold brew coffee on tap from Casa Brasil. 

As I walked through the space envisioning the build-out with people in-store, picking up items and hanging out outside, I thought about the re-usable container practice they’ll be encouraging. I mentioned that it seems you’ll only purchase what you can carry if shopping in bulk at in.gredients. Christian explained it’s supposed to be like a Bodega, again, back to the microgrocer concept, where people can walk/bike and carry or park and drive their purchases away. The bodega style is commonplace in Europe or big and highly populated cities, but in Texas, many of us are used to big carts (maybe to hold the containers we’ve become accustomed to) and large shopping trips. He also pointed out that at major stores, consumers often pay premiums on products and these products may generate lots of waste as they are used. In addition, our eating habits are not diverse because you can purchase products that are not in season, which means they’ve lost some nutritional value between the farm/producer and us. At in.gredients there will be staple products that we all need year-round, and others that we want like local favorite 512 Brewing Company beer, and then some that rotate seasonally.

I could see the excitement in Christian’s eyes as he sees this masterpiece come to life. It really is so amazing how an idea can become a reality and make a difference in the process. in.gredients isn’t just a local grocery store. And, it’s not going to be just another eating experience. It’s at the front of a new movement with a focus on local products, an emphasis on only buying what you need. It’s about being resourceful and educating our community on how to do so. It’s about being aware of and taking care of our environments. And I am so excited to see it stand for all of these principles right here in Austin and to learn how I can be more efficient with my groceries, which may be a source of environmental waste. I can’t wait to jump right in to in.gredients! Stay tuned, maybe it will be a great way to kick off the new year in time for us to make our containerless resolutions…