Good Groceries Market & Cafe is good news for foodies.
The business, owned by Leah and Chad Getchel, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. It’s at 585 South Cooper, where Mo’Bay Beignet Co. previously was located and, before that, a Muddy’s Bake Shop.
“Our grand opening was on July 7th,” Leah says “We had two bands. We had Real Good Dog Rescue. We had the Compost Fairy there. … We adopted out three dogs that day, which was awesome.”
It probably goes without saying, “We love the community,” Leah says.
They began their Good Groceries Mobile Diner food truck during the pandemic. Chad had been chef de cuisine at River Oaks Restaurant. Leah was a personal chef and also did catering. “The food truck is still running. We never stopped. We started that in 2020.”
But, she says, “The food truck is too small to do all the food that we do.”
It was time for a brick-and-mortar. “We needed a commercial kitchen.”
So, Good Groceries now offers breakfast between 7 and 10 a.m. “And that includes a continental breakfast bar, so people can come in and do the breakfast bar or have to-order items.”
The continental breakfast bar includes sage-roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, gravy, and choice of beef or duck sausage. “And we have all our bread items — biscuits, muffins, sometimes croissants.”
Their brick-and-mortar fare is “the same as the food truck menu.” They offer items, including the duck confit sandwiches, the smoked brisket BLT sandwiches, a crispy tofu sandwich, and salmon burger.
Their grab-and-go items are offered all day. “We have premade sandwiches, salads, soups, and take-home make-and-bake-and-eat meals — grab-and-go meals, family-style.”
She describes their menu as “to some degree seasonal, but fairly standard.”
They include gluten-free items because of her health issues, Leah says. “Just about everything is gluten-free.”
People who have to eat gluten-free won’t have to “feel like they’re singled out: ‘Oh, I have to eat from the sides menu.’ Because that’s what I have to do.”
Regular and gluten-free desserts are also featured. Depending on the day, these may include brownies, chess and other pies, and cakes, including Leah’s butter crumble cake and three-layer chocolate cake. “And Chad’s making ice cream. He started that just after we opened. He makes the mix himself and he uses the commercial ice cream maker.”
The Getchels began their first wine pairing dinner August 29th at Good Groceries, and Good Groceries still caters. “We’re doing intimate birthday parties to big parties.” They can do off-site or in-house events.
The name “Good Groceries” came from her former fiancé, Leah says. After he tasted dinners she made for him, he said, “These are some good groceries.”
When she told that to Chad 20 years later, he said, “Oh, that’s good. That’s got potential.”
Now, the name is used for their food truck, cafe, and sauces, which they make. “Mango, pesto, the green tomato relish. And we sell them in the shop.”
They also make their own teas and lemonades, including lavender lemonade made with fresh lavender.
The location between Peabody Avenue and Central Avenue is the perfect spot for what the Getchels want to do. “We’ve got a good mix of neighbors that are like us: parents with kids and folks who just want to come and hang out and play. There’s a big yard out there.”
They also offer “kid-friendly” menu items.
The couple’s 6-year-old twins — Albert and Oscar — also take advantage of the yard. Leah wants to instigate some outdoor events, including movies, this fall. “And just have kids come out and sit and watch and play and do whatever.”
Good Groceries has already become a neighborhood spot. “There are several offices and things around there. We have someone who comes in almost every day from the dialysis center. It’s a nice break for folks who just want to come in. We have some people who come in and study until we close.”
Leah describes the cafe/market as a “homestyle kind of business. And it’s not so mainstream.”
