Everything Tastes Better with NOOCH!

What is Nooch?

According to the Urban Dictionary, it is slang for Nutritional Yeast. The pungent yellow vitamin B-12-filled flakes loved by vegans everywhere.

Sounds about right. 

That is not the point of this article, however. This article is about NOOCH Vegan Market in Denver. I was delighted to sit down with owner, Vanessa Gochnour, to discuss all things NOOCH. Vanessa and I planned to meet at about 1 p.m. last Thursday. As I was out and about and getting ready to head over, I received an email from Vanessa that a freezer was down and could we push the interview until 2. No problem.  When I arrived a little early, I set about to take some pictures and check out the inventory. There is just nothing like going in to a store and knowing that everything there is okay.. No need to read labels at NOOCH. Once Vanessa was ready to go, we headed next door to Mutiny Information Cafe. Vanessa order an iced chai with almond milk, and I got my standard iced soy latte (but this time with coffee ice cubes). 

We found a table in back and I set up my IPhone to record. First things first, what is going on with that freezer? "Those things happen more often than you think." Vanessa mused, calmly enough. Apparently, a recently installed outlet had failed and left one of the newer freezer units down. They were able to plug it in to a different outlet and nothing was lost. Now, they were just waiting on the electrician. A typical day in the life of a small business owner.

After getting that squared away, I asked Vanessa how long she had been vegan and what made her decide to take the leap. She said it had been about ten years now. She had been vegetarian for 6 or so years before that, deciding once she was in college and away from home, she was done with meat. With the guidance of some informed and knowledgeable people, she was led to animal rights from a vegetarian perspective. Once she discovered the truth about the dairy industry, her path to veganism was short. Almost overnight. I asked her if her husband is vegan. He is, she said, but that took some time, as well as a visit to the local animal sanctuary to meet the animals face to face. Now, he is Vanessa's breakfast champion, serving up delicious vegan breakfast burritos.  

So now we know why Vanessa became vegan, but how did that translate to opening a vegan grocery? "How did you meet Josh," I asked her. Josh LeBure was Vanessa' s partner in opening NOOCH Vegan Market. Early on, she explained, her need to meet other vegan and like minded people led her to a group called Plants & Animals Denver. Josh was a co-founder of this vegan advocacy group. Every month they would hold a vegan community dinner called Chomp! Vanessa and Josh began talking and discovered they had a similar goal.. to open a totally vegan store. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the store opened in August 2012. 

August 23, 2012 to be specific. NOOCH Vegan Market opened up in the RiNo District of Denver. Rave reviews came from vegans near and far. After about a year and a half, the partners realized they were outgrowing their space. Changing demographics and ever increasing real estate prices made them realize it was time to begin looking for a new location. Vanessa had always loved working in shops and boutiques along South Broadway. She felt a good small independent business vibe in that neighborhood. Now, if only they could find some space. Good fortune must have been on their side. One day while Josh was meandering down Ellsworth Street, heading to a local coffee shop, he saw the sign for rent. They immediately called and secured the space. NOOCH had a new location. Josh has since amicably left the company to pursue other projects.  Any thoughts of opening a second location? A fairly resounding "No", from Vanessa, "one store is challenging enough." I thought I saw signs of wavering in her eyes, but she stood her ground. In terms of growth, she would be looking at a larger space with a better feel. She is also not sure Denver and the surrounding neighborhoods can support two vegan groceries. For now, I accept that answer and we move on...

What changes have you noticed over the last 5 years in the vegan community? She smiled. So many people are trying vegan food, going vegan. At NOOCH, they noticed a big boost just over this past summer. Vanessa believes it has a lot to do with all the information out there. People can sit and watch documentaries on Netflix from the comfort of their own homes. Some of these are hard to watch. Lots of people are changing their minds and opinions about vegan food.  They seem less afraid of even using the word 'vegan'.  I tell Vanessa that my daughter is watching Food Inc in her freshman PE class. We agree that is awesome and a good sign of progress.

We transition to vegan brands being purchased by much larger conglomerates. Daiya, Justin's, Sweet Earth Foods, KeVita*, & Gardein, just to name a few. But, are there pros as well as cons? "Sure, we have this conversation all the     time. . . when we started NOOCH. . . we were very staunch about these are the brands that we carry," Gochnour stated.

Vegan products do need to be more mainstream, but it is hard to see the brands purchased by companies that do not have the same ethical standards. One clear example is when Gardein was purchased by Pinnacle Foods. NOOCH removed it from the shelves. Customers were persistent and kept asking for it. NOOCH brought it back. "They sell insanely well", according to Vanessa. This was clearly a lesson for the young entrepreneur. Now, she keeps a close eye on these brands. A lot of them, while being owned by a big company, maintain their independence and smaller company standards. If that were to change, if they were to begin making non-vegan items or testing on animals, she would have no problem kicking them to the curb. NOOCH/Gochnour clearly has very strong beliefs and convictions, and vegans in the Denver Metro area can rest assured that she will only carry products they can feel good about. 

Something NOOCH customers can really feel good about are the new Go Boxes that Vanessa added recently. Go Boxes are 100% organic produce from the 100% Organic Produce Distributor, Growers Organic. Vanessa has been purchasing produce from Growers Organic for years, but without the proper refrigeration and storage, NOOCH has struggled with spoilage and waste. This seems to be the perfect solution. NOOCH will take orders for three different options by Wednesday, and customers can pick up on Friday.  

• Small GOBOX - $22 (a weeks worth of produce for 1-2 people)
• Large GOBOX - $32 (a weeks worth of produce for 3-4 people)
• Native GOBOX - $25 - (a weeks worth of LOCAL Colorado produce, serving 1-2 people)
• Pretty Ugly BOX $17 - (a weeks worth of produce, serving 1-2 people) you will receive delicious, but slightly "ugly" produce that helps to reduce waste. $1 of the proceeds go to the  non-profit "We Don't Waste".

Produce varieties change weekly and Vanessa sends out an email to customers to let them know what will be in that week's box. She set up an online invoice making it even easier for customers to pay. All this and NOOCH doesn't even make money on the boxes, they are just happy to be able to provide fresh organic produce for their customers.

While Vanessa was explaining the awesome GOBOX program, I thought of one last question. As you walk around NOOCH looking for your favorite jerky or candy bar (is that just me?), you will notice some items that don't necessarily fit. Trinkets, art, ceramic kitty cats, etc. These are items Vanessa discovers while thrifting or perusing estate sales, a hobby she thoroughly enjoys. These items have a special purpose at NOOCH. When one of these pieces sells a portion of the sale gets donated to 1 of 4 designated charities: 

• The Rooster Sanctuary at Danzig's Roost
• Bite Back Magazine
• Food Empowerment Project
• Beagle Freedom Project

At the end of the year, Vanessa sits down and writes a hefty check to each of these organizations. That feels good for two reasons. One, the organizations need the money to do their important work. Two,  the items get a second chance to offer joy to the people that choose them. My family bought an owl painting a couple of years back that proudly hangs in my living room. The tag let me know I was donating to Danzig's Roost. That makes me happy!

Thanks Vanessa for taking time out of her very busy day to sit with me and even go LIVE on Facebook. Another thanks to Alvino for holding down the fort while the interview was taking place. You guys rock!

*Full disclosure- I work for KeVita, a functional beverage company recently purchased by Pepsico