CICERO — Green Planet Grocery, which currently operates stores in Camillus and Oswego, plans to open a third location in Cicero in early October. The Cicero store is part of an expansion plan that could include up to 10 locations in the next three to five years, says Joe Scripa, a minority owner in the […]
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CICERO — Green Planet Grocery, which currently operates stores in Camillus and Oswego, plans to open a third location in Cicero in early October.
The Cicero store is part of an expansion plan that could include up to 10 locations in the next three to five years, says Joe Scripa, a minority owner in the grocery store.
Scripa spoke with the Business Journal News Network at the Camillus store on Sept. 8.
The business describes itself as a “local, independent health-food store” that features all natural foods, organic produce, supplements, and bulk foods, according to its website.
Brent Lewis is the company’s majority owner. Scripa declined to disclose each man’s percentage of ownership.
Scripa manages the Cicero store’s construction, marketing, and merchandising, he says.
Besides his ownership role with Green Planet Grocery, Scripa also serves as an associate broker and commercial specialist for the Fayetteville–based Scripa Group.
Lewis, the company’s founder, has an “absolute vision” of helping people to shop healthier and eat healthier, says Scripa.
“So, Brent’s vision is to grow the company [and expand] into small communities … and make it easy for people to get healthy choices,” he adds.
Green Planet Grocery is leasing an 8,000-square-foot space at 6195 Route 31 in Cicero, says Scripa. The store will operate in the Lakeshore Heights Plaza.
Scripa Group serves as the plaza’s property manager for New York City–based E&E Associates, LLC.
Green Planet Grocery is using a loan from Pathfinder Bank to finance the opening of the Cicero location, but Scripa declined to disclose the loan amount.
Green Planet is spending “several hundred thousand dollars” to prepare the site for business as a grocery store, he adds.
Benton’s Refrigeration, Inc., a Cicero contractor, is helping prepare the space for business, says Scripa.
The location will employ a mix of 15 full-time and part-time employees, he adds. Scripa declined to disclose any revenue information for Green Planet Grocery.
Agreement with Café Kubal
Green Planet has also reached an agreement with Café Kubal, a Syracuse–based coffee roaster, to develop and supply a café at the Cicero location.
“We will own and operate the café, but [Café] Kubal is our supplier, trainer,” says Scripa.
The partnership with owner Matt Godard will also extend to future locations of Green Planet Grocery, he adds.
In addition, local food suppliers for Green Planet Grocery include Regional Access, an Ithaca–based distributor of natural and organic products from the Finger Lakes; Madison County–based Side Hill Farmers, which provides the store’s meat products; and DeWitt–based Giovanni Food Company.
Its national suppliers include distributors such as Naperville, Ill.–based KeHE Distributors, LLC and Providence, R.I.–based United Natural Foods, Inc., according to Scripa.
The partnership
Scripa met Lewis a few years after Lewis had launched his first store, the Mustard Seed Natural Food Market in Oswego, which has since taken the name Green Planet Grocery.
Scripa provided Lewis assistance as he was scouting properties for a possible store location.
Lewis later opened a store in Camillus in 2010.
The Camillus location operates in a 4,000-square-foot space at 3514 W. Genesee St. in the same plaza that includes Metro Mattress and retailer Casual Male XL.
Since their initial meeting, Scripa has been encouraging Lewis to open a location in Cicero, he says.
“Finally, about two years ago, I said if you [Lewis] don’t do it, I want you to teach me how to do it,” as Scripa recalled it.
So, Lewis agreed to pursue the idea with Scripa.
Beyond Cicero, the company has yet to select any additional locations for future Green Planet Grocery stores, says Scripa.
As someone who works in the real-estate business, Scripa says the firm is looking for locations that are “close to a neighborhood, close to the population for people to be able to shop and get that healthy item as opposed to running to a convenience store [and] getting something that’s not as healthy,” he says.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
