Modesto supermarket alternatives keep shelves stocked despite coronavirus shortages
If picked over shelves and crowded checkouts at supermarkets give you pause, you’re in luck. The Central Valley has many alternatives to find the food your family needs to get through the coronavirus crisis.
After all, that’s one of the perks to living in the bread — and nut and fruit — basket of America. Many of the region’s producers are used to selling directly to distributors or restaurants. But the sudden and dramatic changes to the business landscape due to the COVID-19 outbreak have led to a shift to selling directly to consumers.
Smaller specialty artisan markets and locally owned grocery stores are also seeing new customers who are happy to find fuller shelves. These alternative grocers often work directly with area producers and can keep their shelves stocked despite the increased demand.
No milk on the shelf at the supermarket? Modesto’s Nutcher Milk Company is selling directly from their production facility store on Grayson Road. No eggs at the grocery store? J.S. West Feed Store offers them farm fresh at its downtown location five days a week. Potatoes sold out everywhere you’ve looked? The Fruit Stand from Rodin Farms has them ready for curbside pickup.
These kinds of businesses often attract fewer shoppers than the major supermarket chains and big box stores, making it easier to keep the prescribed 6-feet of social distance between you and other people. And every little bit of distance helps in these global pandemic days.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase, probably 50% more,” said Antoinette Rodin, who owns The Fruit Stand at the corner of Oakdale and Claribel roads on the north Modesto outskirts. “They come in here and we’re not so crowded and there are no lines so it’s easy in and easy out.”
The Fruit Stand and its sister site Rodin Ranch in downtown Modesto have both stocked up on more fresh produce as well as dried nut and fruit items because of demand. Both are also offering online ordering and, soon, home delivery services.
Like Rodin Farms, Modesto-based distributors John Mensonides, who owns Ohana Seafood, has had to adapt to meet customer needs. Before, his company’s clientele was 90% restaurants. But with the stay-at-home order and dining room shutdowns statewide because of coronavirus, that changed almost overnight.
He has gone from making drop-offs at 30 of the region’s top restaurants a day to about four total right now. So instead, he is taking his products straight to the people — sometimes literally on the street. Last week he started partnering with Galletto Ristorante in downtown Modesto to sell raw seafood packs along with the restaurant’s new raw meat packs.
He was back on the corner of J and 11th streets Friday, with boxes of fresh seafood he gets from the pier in San Francisco.
Mensonides also offers home delivery for orders, and has started selling directly to walk-in customers from a warehouse location in the same building as The Market Modesto at 700 N. Seventh St. He has doubled his home delivery orders over restaurant orders.
“What I’ve told my guys and customers is that we have a very simple mission right now. We have to support our community, our customers and our suppliers,” he said. “We’re going to do exactly that and continue to do exactly that until someone with a gun tells me I can’t.”
Mensonides shares his building with The Market Modesto, a locally owned specialty grocer with an attached microbrewery. Market Manager Patrick Chinn said he has noticed an uptick in customers, particularly at their extensive meat department. He also carries a wide variety of pre-packaged regional craft beers.
While the attached brewpub for Persuasion Brewery can’t serve drinks inside anymore, they are open for growlers and to-go beers. The deli is also still pumping out takeout sandwiches.
“We’ve had a great response from people who want to help keep a small local business going,” he said. “We’re still just trying to stay true to who we are and continue to be the store that people, and now hopefully more people, have fallen in love with the last four years.”
Local butcher shops are also seeing more walk-ins, many of whom have struggled over the last few weeks to find things like ground beef and chicken breast at larger supermarkets. Both The Village Butcher in Modesto’s McHenry Village and Dave’s Meat Service on Blue Gum Avenue near the Modesto Junior College West Campus have seen double the customers of late.
And through it they’ve been able to keep stocked on essentials.
“Our suppliers have been really good for us. We haven’t had any trouble keeping up with products,” said Jenny Martin, who runs the shop with her husband and the business’ namesake. They also service many regional farmers markets, which remain open as an essential food source, and will be at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market when it opens its season April 2.
At The Village Butcher — an artisan butcher shop that opened last May — eggs, milk, bread, produce and the shop’s locally raised beef, pork, chicken have been in stock pretty much every day. After the initial rush of people trying to find the basics, owner and head butcher Matt Soderstrom said he is also putting together more meal kits for people.
As families continue to shelter-in-place, he said the kits and dinner boxes will give people more options for dining at home amid the current chaos and confusion of everyday life. They also offer curbside pickup for call-ahead orders. By next week he hopes to also start in-house delivery service for items from their sandwiches and hot food to raw meat, produce and more.
“To see people so excited that you have milk for the kids or eggs without standing in hour-long lines has been something. The appreciation has been very real, very genuine and pretty humbling,” Soderstrom said. “And it’s something we’re more than happy to do. Whatever we can do to keep things as normal for people as possible right now.”
Look, shopping during a worldwide health emergency is no fun for anyone. But local producers, distributors and shops have been working double-time to keep what you need available exactly when you need it. Along with the Herculean efforts of supermarkets chains and everyday grocery clerks, the food is out there for you to find. Keep looking and stay safe.
Dave’s Meat Service: (5149 Blue Gum Ave., Modesto) Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. 209-527-2861 or davesmeatservice.com.
The Fruit Stand, Rodin Farms: (Oakdale and Claribel roads, Modesto) Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 551-6701 or www.rodinfarms.com.
J.S. West Feed Store: (709 9th St., Modesto) Open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 209-338-3287 or www.jswestfeed.com.
The Market Modesto: (500 N. 7th St, Modesto) Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Sat, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday (deli counter closes hour before). 209-338-3660 or www.marketmodesto.com.
Nutcher Milk Company: (5213 W Grayson Road, Modesto) Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. 209-537-1118 or www.nutchermilk.com.
Ohana Seafood: (500 N. 7th St, Modesto) Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 844-696-4262 or www.ohanaseafood.net.
Rodin Ranch Farmers Market: (1001 J St, Modesto) Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. 209-577-3224 or rodinranch.com.
The Village Butcher: (1700 McHenry Ave., Modesto) Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 209-841-0109 or www.facebook.com/TheVillageButcher209.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Modesto supermarket alternatives keep shelves stocked despite coronavirus shortages."
