Outpost Opens New Mequon Store

Outpost Natural Foods Co-op last month opened its fourth store, the largest yet and first outside Milwaukee, at 7590 W. Mequon Rd. Featuring a water recycling system, an electric charging station, and a rain garden to produce fruit, vegetables, and herbs for the in-store cafe, this showstopper is one its founders hope will serve as a sustainable beacon for the community.

“It’s bigger, it’s greener and we have more outdoor space to do things like manage water on the site with rain gardens and cisterns, and grow an edible landscape,” said Lisa Malmarowski, Outpost director of Brand & Store Development.

To further the Co-op’s goals of providing organic, fair trade, and GMO-free food, the new Outpost will offer a wide variety of local goods, an expanded lineup of fair trade products (like chocolate, coffee, tea and medicinals), and an entire stock that is certified organic. Shoppers will be excited to know the new location will include, “made to order stone hearth pizzas, genuine New York City bagels and homemade schmears (cream cheeses), a convenient fresh cut fruit and veggie program, hot breakfast options, an expanded line of Kosher products including meat and poultry, expanded meat and seafood department, and a larger floral program with locally-grown floral bouquets,” Malmarowski says.

The owners of the new location are not only aiming for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, they are hoping to form a strong bond within the new community and fulfill Outpost’s environmental and sustainable goals.

“So far, we’re seeing a lot of people biking and walking to the store,” Malmarowski says. “So many, that we already know (after a week) that we need to add more bike parking!”

The new 16,000-square-foot store (about 10,000 feet of that retail) drew investments from local owners and funding groups, including Fund Milwaukee, a website where people can invest in local projects.

Founded in 1970, Outpost now has four stores and two cafes in place. Its leaders say they are meeting a rising demand for healthy food that will allow them to support a healthy community and strong employee relationships for years to come. By 2022 the owners of Outpost hope to have 70% of goods come from areas around Milwaukee and Wisconsin.