The Natural Grocery Company

What The Natural Grocery Company does

The Natural Grocery Company is an independently owned, private organic grocery retailer founded in 1976 and headquartered in El Cerrito, California, operating two retail grocery locations — the original El Cerrito store at 10367 San Pablo Avenue and a Berkeley store at 1336 Gilman Street — plus an adjacent prepared-food venue, The Annex, at 10387 San Pablo Avenue that serves hot meals, food-to-go, and a curated selection of artisan, natural, organic, and biodynamic wines and craft beers. The company also operates a floral department offering fresh local cuts and dried bouquets.

Core product lines are organized around four departments: grocery (produce, dairy, meat, packaged natural and organic goods), prepared foods (The Annex counter), wine and beer (with weekly Mini Wine Tastings at a $5 fee, seasonal Grand Wine Tastings at $25 with case discounts, and craft chocolate tastings at $10), and floral. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress website with email-newsletter sign-up via eepurl.com, organic Facebook and Instagram accounts, and printable/email-distributed weekly sales flyers — no mobile app, no e-commerce order flow beyond seasonal prepared-food ordering, and no AI capabilities.

The business model is traditional direct-to-consumer physical retail with a single pricing mechanic (unit pricing on groceries and prepared foods plus modest pay-as-you-go event fees). Revenue is generated across four streams: retail grocery sales, prepared foods, wine and beer sales (supported by tasting events), and florist services. The target customer is health-conscious Bay Area residents seeking certified organic, natural, and biodynamic products. Community engagement is a core differentiator, anchored by The Annex Sessions — a weekly live-music series launched in partnership with SunJams (a 501(c)(3) funding children's music education) and Javier Navarrette Music Productions — together with rotating art exhibitions and producer-driven tasting events. The company has no disclosed management team, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no institutional funding, and no headcount disclosure; revenue and ownership structure are not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Natural Grocery Company

Legal name

The Natural Grocery Company

Website

https://naturalgrocery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Natural Grocery Company is an independently owned organic grocery retailer operating two Bay Area stores (El Cerrito and Berkeley) and a prepared-food venue, The Annex, serving health-conscious East Bay consumers with organic groceries, wine and beer, florals, and community event programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural and Organic Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Supermarkets & Chains (CRAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Organic grocery retail
• Natural foods store
• Prepared food counter
• Artisan wine and beer
• Floral department

Headquarters

HQ city

El Cerrito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Sale of organic, natural, and biodynamic groceries including produce, dairy, meat, and packaged goods through two physical store locations.
2. Prepared Foods: Prepared food sales at The Annex location, serving hot meals and food items made in-house.
3. Wine and Beer Sales: Retail sale of artisan, natural, organic, and biodynamic wines and craft beers. Includes wine tasting events that drive sales.
4. Florist Services: Fresh cut flowers, dried bouquets, and floral arrangements sold at store locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Natural Grocery Company operates two independently owned organic grocery stores (El Cerrito and Berkeley, California) selling 100% organic produce, natural and biodynamic packaged groceries, dairy, meat, and floral arrangements. Its The Annex location serves in-house prepared foods, hot meals, and food-to-go, complemented by a curated wine and beer department featuring artisan, natural, organic, and biodynamic selections with regular tastings and case-discount sales.

Product overview

The Natural Grocery Company operates two independently owned organic grocery store locations (El Cerrito and Berkeley, California) with an associated Prepared Food Annex. The core offerings include: the main grocery stores featuring 100% organic produce and natural foods; The Annex prepared food counter serving hot meals and food-to-go; a curated Wine & Beer department specializing in artisan, organic, and biodynamic wines with regular tastings; and a Floral department. The company also runs a vibrant events programming arm including The Annex Sessions (weekly live music series), Mini Wine Tastings (weekly winemaker events), Grand Wine Tasting events (seasonal), Craft Chocolate Tastings, and Art at The Annex exhibitions. The product portfolio centers on grocery retail enhanced by prepared foods, beverage programming, and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SunJamscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with SunJams for The Annex Sessions music series. SunJams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to funding children's music education in underserved public elementary schools. Proceeds from music events support local musicians impacted by COVID-19 pandemic and fund music education programs. Donations are tax-deductible.
• Javier Navarrette Music ProductionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Co-presenter of The Annex Sessions weekly music series. Javier Navarrette is a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for 20 years. Produces outdoor events supporting musicians affected by the pandemic. Curates shows with various Bay Area artists for The Annex Sessions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lazy Acres Natural Market: Lazy Acres is a Southern California independent natural and organic grocery chain with full-service butcher, produce, and wellness departments. Compares as a similarly sized, natural-focused, multi-location independent retailer on the West Coast.
• Mollie Stone's Markets: Mollie Stone's is a small independent Bay Area grocery chain emphasizing natural, organic, and specialty products with strong prepared foods and wine selections. Operates in the same regional market with a similar upscale independent grocer positioning.
• Andronico's Community Markets (Andronico's / Lunardi's): Andronico's/Lunardi's is a small Bay Area independent grocery banner with an emphasis on natural, organic, and local products. It overlaps heavily in geography and customer base with The Natural Grocery Company in the East Bay.
• New Seasons Market: New Seasons is a Pacific Northwest independent natural foods grocery chain with strong prepared food, beer, and wine programs. It is highly comparable in concept (organic-focused, prepared foods, curated beer/wine, community events) although it operates primarily in Oregon and Washington.
• PCC Community Markets: PCC is a Seattle-based member-owned natural foods co-op with strong organic and local-sourcing focus, prepared foods, and community programming. Comparable as a community-rooted, natural-foods specialty retailer, though operating in a different region.
• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage: Natural Grocers is an independent, smaller-format chain focused exclusively on natural and organic groceries with strong produce and supplement assortments. It is the closest pure-play comparably sized peer in terms of natural-only positioning.
• Berkeley Bowl: Berkeley Bowl is a two-store independent grocer also based in the East Bay, specializing in fresh produce, natural, and international foods. It is a direct competitor in the same micro-market (Berkeley/El Cerrito) targeting health-conscious local shoppers.

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: Whole Foods Market is the national leader in natural and organic grocery retail and operates multiple Bay Area locations. It competes for the same organic/natural shopper but offers broader assortments, larger formats, and Amazon-powered e-commerce.
• Trader Joe's: Trader Joe's operates multiple Bay Area stores offering natural, organic, and specialty grocery items at value pricing. It competes for the same health-conscious shopper with a broader chain footprint and curated private-label assortment.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: Sprouts is a publicly traded specialty natural and organic grocery chain with stores across California. It is a comparable natural-focused retailer with scale advantages in sourcing and pricing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/naturalgrocery
• Instagraminstagram.com/naturalgroceryco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-natural-grocrey-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Natural Grocery Company