How to know you live in a small town: when you’re this excited for a new grocery store.

The market had been planned for over a decade before the Soaring Ranch development project officially broke ground last year. The “do we need a new grocery store in Truckee?” debate was something I frequently encountered upon moving here five years ago, but there was never any doubt in my mind — we definitely needed a new, health-focused grocery store in our mountain community.

Enter: Raley’s O-N-E Market, which officially opens tomorrow, June 27.

Located one block away from my office at the DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF roastery headquarters, you can bet your boots I will be shopping and eating here multiple times a week. Beyond the store’s stunning layout and architectural design (much of the timber used to construct the interior was milled from Jeffrey pine trees on the site), I am especially excited to have a high quality health and wellness focused grocery store in town. The “O-N-E” component of the name stands for Organics, Nutrition and Education, which tells you something about the core belief of this particular Raley’s — the first of its kind.

Promising “no fake stuff,” the market is driven by a vision of infusing life with health and happiness by changing the way the world eats, one plate at a time. This unique shopping destination blends the 85-year commitment from the Raley’s brand promising exceptional service combined with sourcing transparency and education. At Raley’s O-N-E Market, a highly curated assortment of wholesome products made with clean ingredients provides the stage for nutrition education, so shoppers understand why those products were selected and why they are better options for the Truckee community.

Here are a few of my favorite product standards the Truckee Raley’s O-N-E Market proudly delivers:

Rigorous department standards for all foods offered in the store (for example, only cage-free eggs)
“No fake stuff” includes eliminating brands such as Coca Cola and Doritos and replacing with healthier alternatives
All packaged options in the store are free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners
Products are organically and locally sourced whenever possible
Check out the banned ingredient list — every product on the shelf has been triple checked to ensure it doesn’t contain any of these ingredients
Shelf tags to help shoppers understand products that are higher or lower in sugar

Perhaps even better, the store even has an upstairs bar (!) serving locally sourced beer, wine and kombucha on tap, along with an organic juice bar, made-to-order pizza and sandwiches, an artisan bakery, plenty of outdoor seating including three fireplaces, and nutrition counseling and biometric screenings on site! Of course, we are proud to sell DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF in the store, too. Considering we roast our coffee a stone’s throw away, it doesn't get more local than that! Click here to see all the Raley’s stores we are sold in.

When Raley’s reached out wanting to partner to promote the new store opening, I proposed bringing in locals from the community to get a special behind-the-scenes peek, and hear their thoughts on why they’ll be choosing Raley’s O-N-E Market. I’m thrilled Raley’s was into the idea, and I had a blast hanging out with my friends Eric, Heather and Larissa the other day. Here’s why they’re just as pumped for Raley’s to be in Truckee as I am:

Eric Goldring, owner of Goldring Travel

Eric and I work two doors down from one another… that is, when he’s not leading a luxury expedition to Antartica via his travel company, Goldring Travel. An attorney-turned-travel agent with a penchant for fine food and a wicked sense of humor, I knew Eric would be thrilled to have such a quality grocery store 30 seconds from his office. Here’s what he had to say:

“I’m a local business owner — I own Goldring Travel, a luxury travel service based here in Truckee, and I also live in Northstar. Lived here for over 30 years and I’m super excited about this beautiful new store. I’ve based my business and my lifestyle on culinary and cultural items, and here in the store I saw fantastic wines, sustainable seafood (no farmed!), and more. I saw some fig balsamic vinegar and thought, ‘Wow, this is awesome!’ and loads of wonderful products; all fresh, all natural. The other thing that’s really cool: everything that’s vegan and non-vegan are mixed together, so if you’re looking for butter you can find butter — 20 different types of butter! — rather than having to scour the store, and I think that’s awesome.”

Heather Lewis, local Wife & Mom

I’ve known Heather since Day 1 of moving to Truckee. Heather and her husband Luke are some of our closest friends, and their kids Judah (12), Eden (9) and Titus (5) are also some of our favorite people. Heather orients a lot of her decision-making around a homeopathic and wellness-based lifestyle (she even makes her own natural deodorant!). I’ve learned a lot from her in this regard over the years, so I knew she would be excited about having a grocery store in town that valued the same things she does. Here’s what she had to say:

“I’m a local Mom here in Truckee, as well as a pastor’s wife. I love living in Truckee — this is a beautiful place and I love this community. I am excited for Raley’s to open on Saturday — I was really struck by how much nutritious food there is, and all the organic options and I’m really excited for my husband and I to be able to share a drink up in the loft, which is unique for a grocery store. It will be nice and convenient for us to shop here — it will take us five minutes to get here!”

Larissa Martinez, owner of Truckee Love

Larissa and I have been connected in countless ways since I moved to town — I think our initial connect was over coffee, when she worked for Coffeebar downtown and Nick and I got to know her through our shared obsession. We even worked together for several years where I photographed her regularly, and we have shared many an afternoon playing and laughing together. She’s a devoted mom, owner of local brand truckee love. and knows just about every single person in town!

“Hi! I’m Larissa, owner of truckee love. I’m so excited for this Raley’s O-N-E Market to open for quite a few reasons: one, I’m surrounded by work from local craftsmen. The pine trees that are in this store are all the trees that were felled here in this area, so I think that’s incredible. I love that everything’s been vetted, and most items are going to be organic, sustainable, and good for myself, my kids and also my pets! I’m just thrilled to have a great green market here in town, and have a nice place to come meet up with friends and have a drink, here at the McKinney Loft.”

Raley’s O-N-E Market opens tomorrow, June 27, 2020 at 8 AM. Regular business hours are 6 AM-11 PM daily. Stop by and peruse the market soon — I’ll see you there!

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Raley’s. All thoughts and opinions are my own.