One of the biggest reasons why people choose fast and processed foods over fresh foods is because it’s what’s accessible and available to them. However this new grocery store in Boston is changing the game and shifting the power to the lower-income populations, who want to eat healthily, but otherwise cannot afford to do so.
Daily Table opened its doors in Dorchester back in 2015, the owner, Doug Rauch is the former president of Trader Joe’s.
In his time working within the industry, he took the fact that over 30 percent of the nation’s food supply is wasted in the USA very seriously, and turned this statistic into a business plan.
There’s enough healthy food to go around – Doug works with suppliers and vendors to purchase foods that would typically get thrown out for arbitrary reasons. This alone has allowed him to acquire fresh produce at drastically reduced prices, and in many cases, these items find their way into Daily Table by donation.
Eating healthy should not be an exclusive perk for the higher-income members of society. Everyone has the right to fresh food, as optimum nutrition can directly affect your long-term health.
“When 49 million Americans aren’t able to eat properly, their health suffers—and they get obesity, heart disease, diabetes, in their teenage and young adult years—this is going to be a health care cost tsunami that hits all of us.” Rauch tells Fast Coexist.
According to the Daily Table website, their prices are low enough to compete with fast food. They are also thriving with in-house-made grab-and-go options. Since many people simply do not have time to cook.
The answer isn’t having a full stomach, the answer is having a healthy meal.
It may be the first time in history that the low-income population has been found to be overweight, how is it possible for someone who can barely afford dinner to be obese? It’s not just about having a stomach full of food, it matters what that food is – and we should be able to access a meal that consists of fresh vegetables, and proteins – the more expensive ingredients.
They’re offering a dozen eggs for $1.29, cereal for $0.70, and tuna for $0.55.
The Daily Table has over 5,000 members, and new locations are currently in the plan. A membership to Daily Table is free, however, it is required in order for the company to track where the demand is, and which neighborhoods are finding this resource useful.
This store isn’t competing with food banks, rather it’s a new option for people who don’t want handouts.
It’s a rather smart business model, decreasing food waste all while supporting the health of the population, hopefully, this company can branch out to offer this service to more of the country in the near future.
Sources
- “New grocery store lets you buy health food for the price of fast-food.” Plaid Zebra. December 9, 2015.
- “This Grocery Store From Trader Joe’s Ex-President Makes Healthy Food As Cheap As Junk Food.” Fast Company. Adele Peters. December 1, 2015.