Cam's Downtown Grocery Needs Help with R&D Survey

[camsgrocery]

Hello,

I am Dan Cameron, owner of Cam's Grocery. Cam's is a natural market in the planning stages of opening a store front in or near downtown Tulsa.

Cam's will have a local focus and will specialize in organic and natural foods. We are genuinely passionate about the Tulsa community.

We could use some help with spreading our survey around and befriending us on our social media pages.

Our Links:
SURVEY HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J8TX3ZJ
twitter.com/camsgrocery   - Please follow us
facebook.com/camsgrocery     - Please 'Like' us
Camsgrocery.com is in development, a contact page is holding its place for now. Feel free to contact me.

Thank you for your time. I know these are a lot of action items for the new guy on the block, but if we want Tulsa to be the place we desire, we must get to work.

Take care,
Dan

[Gaspar]

What type of R&D will you be performing?

[Gaspar]

Dan,
Here's a start.  Lets just look at 74103 and 74119 (much larger area than you would actually consider a market donut).

28,203 folks work there, and only 396 of those people live there.  There are a total of 2,170 that live in those zip codes, and 1,774 of those people work outside of the downtown area.

Now looking at income, of the 28,203 that work in your target area 12,523 make less than $40,000 a year.  218 people who live in the area make over $40,000 a year the rest leave for the burbs every night.

Your primary focus will need to be capturing this small market group during their lunch hour.  There are some great examples of markets like this that work, but they rely on a far more dense population base with a higher income. 

I admire you for taking on such a challenge.  Needless to say it will be difficult to gain any funding from financial institutions.  I would also talk to a good tax guy about crowdsourcing.  The donations are not tax deductible, and cannot come from a corporate entity without being reported in both directions. The government thieves (IRS) is hot on the trail of crowdsourcing operations, and I would be shocked if there wasn't a change to the 2011 tax law that collects on such funding.  You don't want to end up with a surprise burden at the end of the year.

[Conan71]

Dan I hope it works out well for you and welcome aboard the forum. 

Natural is good.

[carltonplace]

I have no marketing insight other than living a couple blocks away but in my mind a Grocery at 18th and Boston seems incongruous to the area. I could be wrong.

[sgrizzle]

I have no marketing insight other than living a couple blocks away but in my mind a Grocery at 18th and Boston seems incongruous to the area. I could be wrong.

They have a coffee shop that closes at 5
incongruity is the new black.

[pmcalk]

IMO, 18th & Boston is a fantastic location.  I don't know why you would limit the demographics to two zip codes--in fact, 74120 and parts of 74114 are within walking distance--i.e., MapleRidge (people with decent money who also tend to prefer local, natural foods).  This is one of the few areas of Tulsa where a significant number of Tulsans live in apartments/condos, and are perhaps without a car.  I can think of no grocery store in Tulsa that is actually pedestrian-friendly--this could be the first.  From what I read, the store is similar to a Wholefoods, with dining and prepared foods.  So, in addition to shoppers, you are likely to get a significant number of diners, and 18th & Boston is already a proven area for that.  It's close to the river, for those heading home from a bike/run.  It's close to downtown, for those heading home from work.  

Being close to 18th & Boston, I'm sort of biased, but I would love to see this happen.

[carltonplace]

Not sure they would get much traffic from commuters leaving downtown. If you want to attract those people open a store on Cincinatti Ave or on Denver Ave or on 6th St to catch all of the people high-tailing to a highway ramp to get back to the burbs. 

[mjchamplin]

74120-dweller here. I live off Cherry Street and would absolutely bike/walk to a small grocery at 18th and Boston.

Having said that, I wonder if you'd benefit more from placing a store closer to the urban core -- where the residential development is taking place downtown and in the Brady.

[SXSW]

There is also a great place for such a grocery currently vacant at 18th & Boston: the old Pour House adjacent to the Midland Valley trail.  It also has a parking lot next to it and would be convenient to the Uptown, Riverview, south downtown, Maple Ridge, Cherry Street and Swan Lake neighborhoods that form some of the highest residential densities in Tulsa.

[carltonplace]

I think that is the intended space. Not sure it qualifies as a "downtown" market strictly speaking, (this is actually uptown or sobo) but I would use it. I do agree with mjchamplin that I would rather see retail development in the core...but that is just personal preference.

[zstyles]

I know people that drive from Oklahoma City to Whole Foods here in Tulsa every week as there isn't an option like that in Oklahoma City...

[Cats Cats Cats]

I know people that drive from Oklahoma City to Whole Foods here in Tulsa every week as there isn't an option like that in Oklahoma City...

*Mind asplodes*

[Gaspar]

I know people that drive from Oklahoma City to Whole Foods here in Tulsa every week as there isn't an option like that in Oklahoma City...

Except for the Whole Foods in Oklahoma City.

[Conan71]

There is also a great place for such a grocery currently vacant at 18th & Boston: the old Pour House adjacent to the Midland Valley trail.  It also has a parking lot next to it and would be convenient to the Uptown, Riverview, south downtown, Maple Ridge, Cherry Street and Swan Lake neighborhoods that form some of the highest residential densities in Tulsa.

I was of the impression from prior discussion on here that building has been sold and has a date with the wrecking ball.