Live LB Magazine

Live LB September 2010

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SEPTEMBER 2010 FOOD & WINE A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE When it comes to quality produce and organic food, the downtown community has been known to have limited options – that is up until now. Denizens of this city now have a healthy alternative for their grocery and deli needs with the opening of Kress Market, located on the corner of 5th and Pine Avenue. Owned and operated by Javier and Hilda Ortiz, Kress Market offers a wide variety of organic products and produce that cannot be found at most grocery stores or supermarkets. Having always enjoyed an organic, health-conscious diet, Javier and Hilda Ortiz first envisioned their own market a while back, noticing a growing trend of people choosing organic over usual supermarket fare. They began looking around for a place to set up shop and found that the old Kress building was available for sale. "We came and drove around. When we saw the historic building, we fell in love with it," Javier said. "The opportunity and niche was there – the demographics, the community is health-conscious. And, with the density of the population in Long Beach – in this area – it was great because most of our customers live within walking distance. We thought it was the perfect match." The couple chose to name their market Kress in order to preserve the history of the building where it's located. Besides the many organic foods and products to be found at Kress Market, customers can also find a great selection of specialty and hard- to-find beers from local and regional microbrews. And, if that isn't enough of a reason to drop by, customers can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner at the deli, which offers a choice of different sandwiches with cold cut meats, smoothies and salads. "All organic," Javier said. "We also offer wine and cheese – also organic." While Kress Market promises to be a hit with those seeking a healthier meal, Javier and Hilda feel their store has an opportunity to make a deeper imprint, including community involvement on several levels. "Maybe in the future we can expand to other types of events, like cooking classes. We also want to do some nutrition classes, in terms of telling people why it's good to eat organic. We want to teach people the WRITTEN BY EDGARD ZUNIGA BUSINESS & MONEY : BUSINESS PROFILE 60 KRESS MARKET

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