Tulsa grocery store on wheels now has solid foundation

In a part of Tulsa where grocery stores are scarce, a new small-format store is making a big difference. The Grocery Box has opened its doors, providing fresh and affordable food in a community that has long struggled with access to healthy options.

A Solution to Food Insecurity

For Katie Plohocky, executive director of The Grocery Box, this store is the next step in an 11-year journey that started with a grocery store on wheels.

“We’ve been running a mobile grocery store for 11 years,” Plohocky said. “But it only provides two hours of access a week for each of our stops. So we wanted to provide a better, more consistent solution.”

That solution is a brick-and-mortar grocery store—just 700 square feet, but packed with fresh produce, dairy, meats, and organic options.

More Than Just a Grocery Store

While The Grocery Box provides the essentials, store manager Tina Nordhoff says it’s about more than just food.

“I’m trying to learn as many names as possible because this is a community store, and we’re so proud of it,” Nordhoff said.

For residents, the store offers not just convenience but also accessibility.

“There’s a lot of people that come in that have disabilities. And they’d be like, ‘Now I can just walk to the store,’” said Hennessy Morman, an intern at The Grocery Box.

Addressing Health and Affordability

The store also aims to tackle serious health concerns in the area.

“We’re here in a zip code that lives 11 years less than if you live on the other side of town,” Plohocky said. “That’s because there is no access to fresh fruits and vegetables.”

As a nonprofit, The Grocery Box also works hard to keep food affordable.

“We’re not here to make a profit off of this. We’re here to ensure that food is affordable and accessible,” Plohocky said.

That commitment is evident in their pricing, with some of the lowest prices on staples like eggs.

“Our eggs are the cheapest eggs in town, I hope. We are charging $4.49 a dozen,” Plohocky added.

Looking to the Future

This store is just the beginning. The goal is to franchise The Grocery Box and open more locations across the city, making it easier for people to get fresh food within walking or biking distance.

But for now, the team is celebrating the success of their first store.

“I didn’t think we were going to actually get a grocery store, and now to have a grocery store, it’s like, ‘WOAH!’” Morman said with a laugh.

And as Nordhoff puts it, this store belongs to the community.

“This store is really theirs. It’s not ours, it’s theirs, and it’s going to become more and more theirs as we go on and open other stores.”