A fifth Grocery Outlet has opened in Philly, this one on American Street

There’s nothing in Jess Loflin’s and Marie Cole’s backgrounds that would make you think they would wind up owning a West Kensington grocery store.

Both were born far from a silver spoon. Cole, 57, in Raymond, Wash., a rural logging and fishing town, and Loflin, 42, in a small border town in New Mexico.

Neither worked in a grocery.

Cole spent decades working for large chain restaurants, becoming increasingly burned out. Loflin, whose eclectic background includes career stints as a farrier and managing large call centers, was becoming increasingly disenchanted. Both were ready to try something new.

“I was tired of making millions for other companies,” Cole said.

When Cole answered what she thought was a job ad for Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, she discovered it was actually a solicitation for new owner-operators. Grocery Outlet is a growing chain of bargain supermarkets that started on the West Coast in 1946 and is expanding on the East Coast.

Cole asked Loflin whether they should take the plunge, and Loflin responded, “Let’s do it.”

And with that, the partners — in business and in life — endured months of intense corporate training, then drove eight days across country with their three dogs, to open Philadelphia’s fifth Grocery Outlet, on American Street.

“We decided it was a good place because the area needed good work and affordable food,” Cole said of the location. “We opened 3-23-23. I know that date better than my wedding anniversary.”

Grocery Outlet, based in Emeryville, Calif. is opening about 35 stores each year. Each is operated by an independent owner. The company started expanding into Pennsylvania in 2012, and the first city-based store opened in Mount Airy in 2021.

Last year, a Grocery Outlet opened in the city’s Sharswood section, anchoring a new $52 million Philadelphia Housing Authority development on Ridge Avenue, providing the North Philadelphia neighborhood with its first supermarket since the 1960s and a new source of employment.

» READ MORE: Grocery Outlet opens in North Philadelphia, first business to open in new PHA development

The supermarket chain’s strategy of buying name-brand manufacturers’ excess inventory and seasonal closeouts and then selling at a steep discount has made it one of the fastest-growing discounters in the country, according to industry journals.

Sisters Sherrel Lubin and Callena Sutton were packing their car full of groceries after a recent shopping trip. Lubin, who usually shops at Walmart, said she has to feed a family of five for a month. According to the USDA, a family of four could spend almost $1,000 per month on groceries today, whereas two years ago the bill would have been about $300 less.

“I spent less than $400 when usually I would spend $600 to $700,” Lubin said.

It was Lubin’s first time at Grocery Outlet, but Sutton has visited stores throughout the city. “Honestly, the deals are a bargain, the people are nice, and they bag. My sister and I [work as] Instacarters, and I can tell you, nobody bags anymore,” Sutton said.

Anija Davis was excited about the savings. “I usually spend $150, and my total bill was $122,” Davis said. Usually an Acme shopper, Davis went into the market curious about the new store that is within walking distance of her home.

“We have shoppers come in and ask us ‘Are these the real prices?’ ” Cole said.

Loflin said the store also allows the couple to engage with their social mission activities, including providing healthy food in a food desert and good jobs with a living wage. They also want to get more involved in LGBTQ events, youth employment, and literacy issues. “New Mexico had the lowest educational level in the country when I was there,” Loflin said.

At their store’s grand opening, Loflin and Cole donated $1,000 each to The Sunday LOVE Project, a food pantry, and Norris Square Community Alliance, a community development corporation.

They said they have taken a substantial financial risk to open the store, but they are convinced that food is a secure business and American Street is a booming residential location. They are also getting in on the ground floor of Grocery Outlet’s East Coast expansion.

In the meantime, the couple is excited about their adopted hometown’s art, food, people, culture, music, diversity, and, most importantly, acceptance. And after four moves in the 10 years they have been together, they predict Philadelphia may just be the place they put down their roots for good.