New Minturn grocery opens doors

MINTURN —There’s a new reason to take the Minturn exit and venture away from the valley’s Interstate 70 corridor. The small town has undergone some noticeable development, and Local’s Market is helping to feed it.

The new grocery store is located right off Main Street in the Mollie G. Building at 175 Williams St. It takes on the character of the small town and adds a warm flare of its own — like a Colorado farm stand meets a Moroccan market.

“This is the valley’s small grocery store,” said owner Mary Kelley Zeleskey. “My whole idea was to support small businesses and farmers, and to buy organic and local.”

---

---

Wood accents, chalkboard signs, colorful baskets and burlap bags create a cozy and clean space, filled with organic produce, meat, milk and eggs; speciality cheeses, soaps and candles; fresh bread from Avon Bakery and bags of coffee from Vail Mountain Coffee Roasters.

Almost all the food items in the store are organic, Zeleskey explained, including pantry items like crackers, quinoa and pasta. A variety of gluten-free items are available as well.

---

---

“Our focus is organic, and that’s the thing that sets us apart from Shop and Hop,” she said of her Minturn grocery competitor. “I think our prices are similar, if not cheaper, and I think we generally have better quality with our organic options.”

Community continuity

Sage Pierson, Minturn resident and owner of Sticky Fingers Cafe & Bakery on Main Street, said she eats a Paleo and organic diet, and Local’s Market provides the goods that she used to order from a weekly door-to-door distributor.

“We needed something like this,” she said. “When I was a kid we used to have a grocery store here. I think they are going in the right direction with this, and it’s so classy. I think it’s great.”

Zeleskey said she is still waiting to see what the demands are to direct her purchasing, and she is very open to suggestions on what to carry.

“I want people to come in and buy the fresh produce, so I can keep it up,” she said. “If people don’t come in and get it, then we are not going to have produce anymore because I’ll have to take it all home myself. I want people to keep buying it and supporting us so we can stay here.”

Zeleskey said she wants Local’s Market to become a local gathering place. She has hot coffee available to warm guests as they shop, and eventually she wants to obtain a wine and beer license. Once the months get warmer, the shop’s large front patio will have tables and chairs to make it easy to linger a little longer.

Some grab-and-go items may come available soon, but Zeleskey is focused on developing the grocery first.

“I am always going to be getting new stuff in,” she said. “I’m always up for changing things and keeping it interesting and fun.”

For Minturn residents, heading out to the highway for a grocery run isn’t necessary anymore — especially for the “we’re out of milk” or “what’s for dinner?” errands.

“Now I really don’t have to leave Minturn,” Pierson said. “I have the gym here now, and Sticky Fingers, and some options for amazing restaurants and cute little shops, and then the Local’s Market, so there you go.”