Guiltless Splurge

Q: How and when did you get the idea for Dean’s Natural Food Market?

A: I worked in a natural food store for two years before deciding to go out on my own.

Q: How would you describe Dean’s Natural Food Market?

A: Dean’s is a company dedicated to providing products and education in the freshest form. Deans is an important cornerstone of the community and people come to change their lives. We take it seriously in a friendly environment.

Q: Guiltless Splurge is the idea of healthy alternatives, would you consider items on your menu to be a Guiltless Splurge?

A:  Yes, absoloutely.

Q: What local farms do you use?

A: We use Lady Moon in Pennsylvania and Cal Organic, which are both two premiere organic growers in the natural food world. We also use two local farmers, one being Farmer Ed in Colts Neck.

Q: Are “sustainable, organic, and locally sourced” just buzz words or a passion?

A:  As consumers, we vote with out dollar. That is very powerful. We can direct farmers, manufactures, and retailers by endorsing with our money. It may seem like we are powerless, but that doesn’t need to be the case. I think it’s beyond a passion now, I think it’s here to stay. ‘Organic’ is getting more popular, and the link between the food we eat and where it comes from is more important.

Q: What do you find customers are most surprised about when they experience Dean’s?

A: The difference in the taste of our food compared to conventional food, especially in produce. People forget what food tastes like because at large-scale farms the nutrients from the soil taint the food products. At places like that, it isn’t a matter of quality but of quantity.

Q: Is there a difference in taste of organic fruit?

A: I gave a pound strawberries to my friend, and he said they were the best strawberries he had in his life. I realize that organic is not always better tasting, and in reality its not always exceptional, but when we get high quality from small farms its noticeably different.

Q: What is the relationship with the customers?

A: We cater to a conscious consumer. Our consumer knows why they’re here, rather than people buying commodity items in the average grocery store. Just yesterday, a customer brought in a nutrition bar that they wanted me to sell here and I looked at ingredients and said I couldn’t because it had simple sugar, modified corn starch, and other ingredients that we don’t advocate.

Q: Is that hard a decision because you clearly would want more business?

A: Yes, we have to turn business away as a result of it, but we are devoted to our ways.

Q: What ingredients do you look for in a bar?

A: We don’t want any unnatural additives such as hydrogenated oils, simple sugar, modified food starch, dyes, trans fats…

Q: Do you offer vegan grocery products?

A: We have vegan, kosher, vegetarian, meat, and gluten free options. There is a 31 foot aisle and 6 freezer doors filled with gluten-free items. It has become one of the most increasing diet-specifications in grocery aisles.

Q: What are the difficult aspects of running an organic and vegetarian eatery?
A: It is difficult to get maintain public beyond the stigma of “eating vegetarian cuisine”. For example, if I didn’t tell them it was vegetarian, like quinoa, then they would indulge. But because it has the label as a ‘vegetarian-wonder’ they’re apprehensive. In reality, quinoa is a complete protein, low allergen, and second to meat in amino acids…everyone should be eating it, not just vegetarians.

Q: What would you suggest to an apprehensive first time customer experiencing the salad bar?

A: What’s unique about Dean’s is that our staff members cater to our consumers. What I would really suggest is one of our staff members allow the consumer to sample the food to give them an idea of the taste. Also, for the consumer to keep an open mind. Yesterday, a woman came in who was interested in buying a protein-powder. I took an individual packet size of that powder and made a shake for her at the Juice Bar… rather than have her spend $30 on an entire case of it and not like it, she was able to try it.

Q: Are all the items in the glass case homemade?

A: Every thing prepared in the food service is homemade. All the vegetables used in there are all organic and all of the meats are hormone-and antibiotic free. There are no conventional products at all.

Q: If your favorite celebrity chef was coming to Dean’s, what would you prepare?

A: The first thing that comes to mind is the eggless egg salad, because you don’t have the opportunity to try it anywhere else. It is made from tofu and looks like scrambled eggs. For meat eaters, the blackened chicken is popular.

Q: Do you find nutrition or supplements to be more beneficial?

A: I believe nutrients should primarily be through food. Omega fatty-acids are one of the only ones I believe should be taken through a supplement because its such a concentrated dose in a capsule. Otherwise, you can get everything you need through food.

Q: What vitamins or supplements do you find to be the most beneficial?

A: multi-vitamin, B complex, vitamin E, vitamin C .. that’s the basic regiments, and depending on the age.

Q: What protein powder do you suggest?

A: JROB and Biochem whey protein. Ingredients are right where you want them to be. Free of chemicals. There are different levels of quality protein…there’s a reason why this stuff costs more money.

Q: Do customers have to be willing to spend more money?

A: My corny tagline is “Health assurance. Pay me now or pay me later.” There are more gyms than ever before and obesity is still at its highest level.

Q: Do you have any future plans or ideas for Dean’s?
A: We want to open up more stores, people are looking for it. Even with the tremendous down turn in the economy, we have had consistent positive growth in sales.

Q: Do you already cater?

A: We do cater out of the food service department. We started it about 4 months ago. We are constantly doing out of store events – at Branches, at Allenhurst antique shows, fundraising events, convention hall.

Q: Do customers come with specific questions or what are they looking for?

A: Typical questions include how to prepare certain foods.

Q: Aside from food you advocate in other aspects?

A: This spoon is made from potato starch. We pay 8 times as much for it. These cups are made from sugar cane and are 24 cents a cup, when we were paying a nickel for a solo cup. That base of knowledge has to have a starting point and that’s what differentiates us from the average grocery stores… this is the grassroots.

Q: Do you provide classes?

A: We do cooking classes and educational seminars. August is women’s health month and we will be hosting weekly breakfast and lunches with seminars. Also, 10/10/10 is non-GMO day and we will be running an educational promotion to educate people.

Q: Any final comments?
A: We can only teach people who want to learn and when people are ready we’re here for them. This is a vehicle to raise peoples’ conscious. People are becoming more aware of impact that pesticides and herbicides have in the environment and more consciousness of pollution. There is a consistent rising of awareness one individual at a time as the way we move through life.