I covered Deep Roots Market’s efforts to expand 15 or so years ago, when the co-op planned to move to West Market Street here in Greensboro. That effort did not end well due to a shaky financial situation, especially for the developer who upfitted the space specifically for a small grocery store.

Deep Roots finally settled on a downtown site—-right on the edge of tony Fisher Park—and finally was able to relocate with the help of a $100,000 forgivable loan (there’s that term again) from the city. The location is also along Gboro’s $26 million downtown greenway—-imagine the utopia of everyone riding their bikes to purchase their organic groceries!

Unfortunately that utopian vision isn’t quite panning out—Deep Roots—heaven forbid—is looking to add more ‘mainstream items’—- the N&R specifically names Frosted Flakes and Velveeta cheese —-perish the thought—- as perhaps one answer to the co-op’s financial woes.

Emphasis on one answer:

Dave Reed, president of Deep Roots’ board, said some people said they appreciated the changes in the store, but others said they believe “pretty strongly” that Deep Roots should only sell organic and natural products.

….Reed said Deep Roots’ sales have been flat, and that wasn’t what board members expected three years ago when they moved the store from its tiny location on Spring Garden Street to its 11,000-square-foot spot on North Eugene Street. The board had hoped the surrounding neighborhoods would take advantage of it and shop there, making Deep Roots more of a neighborhood market.

That block of North Eugene Street close to New Bridge Bank Park indeed has finally taken shape after many years—yet another craft brewpub just opened across the street. And there’s the all-important downtown greenway. An empty building certainly doesn’t fit into those plans—it will be interesting to see how far the city will go to prop up Deep roots if sales of Frosted Flakes and Velveeta cheese don’t solve its financial woes.