Writing about a health food store can be as bland as the homemade bran muffins they’re selling inside, however, Campbell’s Nutrition is everything but. As a Des Moines local you have to know Diane Lahodny, her store is a hidden gem and her (carrot) bran muffins are actually quite tasty.
Until recently, Campbell’s was my neighborhood market and yet I was not aware of its iconic status – on the scene in 1937 and coming along way since its days of 5¢ carrot juice. Diane grew up on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii and moved to Iowa to attend Drake University in the eighties – sight unseen. “I was in for the adventure,” Diane said, and as life typically delivers what you’re expecting, an adventure is certainly what followed. A lover of all things wholesome and local, Diane’s health food lifestyle quickly turned her into a hired hand at her favorite hangout earning her $6/hour. Her obsession with creating a satisfied customer eventually convinced the previous owner of Campbell’s that she’d make a great owner herself, and the business became hers in 1995.
Since then, Campbell’s has undergone over 5 remodels to meet the demand of the growing segment of conscious consumers of locally produced groceries, whole, and minimally processed foods.
Expect to be impressed when you walk in the door, wowed by her thoughtful selection of artisanal products – and what is it about being in a health food store that just makes you feel…good? Aside from these things, health food stores can also be intimidating, especially to the average American Big-Box buyer. Small stores with niche products often bear the stereotype of being just that – niche, and expensive. Luckily for us, these things are not the case with Campbell’s Nutrition. There is something for everyone and as an Urban515 Merchant they’re offering even more value to their loyal customers.
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