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Greenpoint is about to get greener! A new, package-free store, Maison Jar, is slated to open at 566 Leonard St. this spring.
Maison Jar will sell food, home essentials and personal care items all by measure, meaning customers can pick the quantity of a product as they need it. Inventory includes produce, fresh bread, dairy and vegan cheese, pastas, beans, coffees, teas, spices, detergents, soaps, shampoos and much more.
"I have always been passionate about food, the environment and trying my best to consume consciously," says founder Larasati Vitoux.
The idea of opening Maison Jar came to Vitoux while visiting a friend in France, her home country. "While staying with her, we regularly shopped atan épicerie vrac, or bulk store," Vitoux remembers. "I was instantly convinced by the model: minimalist, eco-conscious, local and community focused." Back in Brooklyn she wanted to start shopping this way, could only find one package-free store in the entire city: Precycle, the city's first zero-waste supermarket, in Bushwick.
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At the time, Vitoux had recently left her job of eight years working for a natural ingredient manufacturer. A first-time entrepreneur, the 33-year-old felt her industry background was enough to pull off opening a store. "So, I took the leap and decided to bring the concept to my own neighborhood," she says.
At Maison Jar, carefully selected and responsibly sourced products will place an emphasis on local and organic options. Producers will include Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, Simpli, She Wolf Bakery, Granola Lab, Tierra Farm and Common Good, to name a few. The store has been designed to provide an easy and enjoyable shopping experience.
The space is split into two distinct areas; a food section with gravity dispensers, scoop bins and produce crates that takes inspiration from a farmers’ market, and a home essentials and personal care section centered around a large farm table that seeks to replicate the comfort of a home. Customers are encouraged to shop with their own containers though Maison Jar offers low waste options as well. The store plans to host workshops on a range of topics from zero waste cooking to crafting DIY products.
"The goal of Maison Jar is to offer a better shopping experience compared to any conventional grocery stores and e-commerce," Vitoux says. "It’s not just about reducing waste; we want to improve the whole shopping experience."