Innovative grocery store concept, Basics Market, expanding

A format that blends a grocery store with a nutritionally-minded cooking school is adding more locations.

Basics Market, which has two stores in Portland, Ore., has opened a location in Tualatin, Ore. A fourth location, in Portland’s Pearl District, is set to open this winter, with a total of two to three stores on tap for 2020. 

Founded in 2017 by Pacific Foods’ founder Chuck Eggert, Basics is designed to help people cook healthful meals at home. It combines regionally sourced products, seasonally rotating meal stations, nutrition classes and cooking demos all under one roof. The grocer partners with local producers to minimize distribution costs and waste, with an eye to providing high-quality products at lower prices. 

At 5,000-sq.-ft., Basics’ newest outpost  is designed for easy access. Special features include a “discovery kitchen” classroom with state-of-the-art cooking facilities and a robust schedule of free classes, including interactive demonstrations, hands-on workshops and nutrition classes. A bar and bottle shop featuring a selection of regional wines, craft beers and creative drinks will be added in November.

Grocery offerings include local and seasonal products and a “protein counter” featuring sustainably caught fish, a wide variety of Pacific Northwest fresh and cured meats, poultry, and plant-based selections all locally sourced. 

“Our hope is that this store will be an oasis of meal inspiration and delicious ingredients, making it easier for people to get dinner on the table with foods they trust,” said Fernando Divina, president of Basics markets.