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There’s a friendly new neighborhood grocer in the city.

Seed to Sprout organic grocery opened its doors in late November. The store, situated on a highly visible corner at Main Street and Fourth avenue, carries a mix of fresh, raw and organic all-vegan products.

Co-owners Cara Pescatore, 30, and Alex Mazzucca-Lopez, 32, see the store as an extension of their popular eponymous vegan eatery in Avon-by-the-Sea — another way to bring healthy food options to the community.

“We just want to be here for people’s every day needs,” said Pescatore. “We really believe in nourishing the body from the ground up and it starts with what eat and drink, so we want to provide the cleanest, healthiest options we can.”

The strictly vegan grocery — which means none of their products have any animal products or byproducts in them — carries fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, bulk spices like cayenne pepper and chili flakes, bulk seeds and nuts, cereals, hemp, almond and rice milks, teas, cooking oils, tofu, tempeh and more.

Sourcing the produce locally, fresh fruit and vegetable vendors include New Jersey farms Seven Arrows in Rumson and Zone 7 in Ringoes.

This week the owners began stocking shelves with their own packaged organic salad dressings and Coconut Creamer. Devoid of dairy products, its packaging proudly proclaims “Your coffee will never be the same.”

In the weeks ahead, Pescatore and Mazzucca will introduce grab-and-go options and other prepared foods like their coconut bacon and cashew cream, along with bulk oils and sweeteners, baked goods, cleaning products, natural beauty products and fresh flowers.

The two also plan to turn counter space near the register into a juice bar.

“It just screams juice bar – it’s the perfect little nook,” said Pescatore.

Customers from Seed to Sprout restaurant, located just two miles south on the same street in Avon, have actively sought out the grocery, Pescatore said, others have happened upon the location and walked in and Pescatore is eager to share her food knowledge with those who are unfamiliar with organic and vegan food.

That knowledge will be further disseminated  in small food demonstrations from owners, as well as other community members.

“There are so many people around here who are so creative and have a lot of passion in their fields, so we want to involve as many people as we can,” Pescatore said.

“We are hoping to not only expose the community to organic fresh food, but also make it much more accessible,” said Mazzucca. “We hope to bring the community together and educate people through workshops and classes in how to make natural living easy and understandable.”

Seed to Sprout Organic Grocery is located at 711 Fourth Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, call 732-361-7040 or visit seedtosproutnj.com.

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