Natural Grocers on 17th Street open for business

The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors cut the ribbon Monday afternoon at the new Natural Grocers store on 17th Street.

Colorado-based Natural Grocers had a ribbon cutting Monday and is open for business today at its newest store, on Idaho Falls' 17th Street. Thus concludes a two-year saga that BizMojo Idaho has covered ever since Assistant City Planner Brad Cramer told me in 2011 that he'd received a cryptic phone call from people asking about a possible location for a 15,000-square-foot specialty grocery store.

The store will offer its first free cooking class in its dedicated demonstration kitchen and events facility on Thursday. Nationally recognized nutrition expert Cary Tamburro will show how to make "Smoothies to Jump Start Your Health."  Tamburro will demonstrate organic, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Natural Grocers is well known for what it does not sell: any foods that contain artificial ingredients such as colors, sweeteners, flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, or produce grown with synthetic pesticides, or meats with antibiotics or hormones.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:56 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. On Sunday the store will be open from 9:56 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. "Come a little early, come a little late, customers are welcome inside," says the press release.

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