Alexia Gonzalez wants to provide food for people in downtown Augusta and protect the environment, so she’s opening a business that will allow her to do both simultaneously.
At the end of September, Gonzalez plans to open The Earth Pantry at 1026 Broad St., the former home of Sew Co.
The business, which she refers to as a sustainable refill store, will sell a variety of dry goods, including rice, pasta, and candy, as well as some of her homemade items, such as cleaning products, soap, and shampoo that don’t contain all the chemicals found in most manufactured products. The Earth Pantry will also feature a produce stand.
“Nothing will be prepackaged; you bring in your own containers,” Gonzalez said. “You pay by weight, and the prices should be comparable to or cheaper than Publix or Kroger.”
That means she won’t use plastic bags or other packaging materials that can end up in the Savannah River and other local waterways.
For a few years, she had heard about refill stores in other cities and visited one for the first time in Miami in 2020. However, opening a storefront wasn’t part of her original plans. Gonzalez wanted to renovate a bus and sell items at farmers’ markets.
“God put me here instead,” she said. “I’ve been searching for my purpose, and I think serving will be the best part.”
Gonzalez was walking downtown when she noticed the vacant space on Broad Street. She already has a website, which customers can use to order personal care, cleaning, and laundry products, and she ships these items to various locations in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.
When Gonzalez opens the storefront, she plans to allow customers to place online orders for local delivery.
Gonzalez also plans to host events and workshops that teach people how to make some of the products she sells. Gonzalez will offer a free library and a dedicated play area for children to use while their parents shop.
Whenever possible, the items she sells will be locally sourced. For example, Gonzalez will offer ground coffee provided by Buona Caffe.
While she knows there’s a need for this type of business in the CSRA, she’s a little nervous about how the local community will respond to it.
“It’s a new thing in Augusta, and I’m new,” Gonzalez said.
She moved to Augusta from the Atlanta area two years ago. Gonzalez said she will have a small soft opening celebration and a larger party for the grand opening.
For now, Gonzalez will run the store by herself, but she plans to hire an employee or two within six months. Besides protecting the environment, Gonzalez wants to address a problem that has plagued downtown residents ever since Kroger on 15th Street closed in 2017.
“We’re in the middle of a food desert,” she said.
Gonzalez said she hasn’t determined the store hours yet. For more information, visit The Earth Pantry Facebook page or www.theearthpantry.com/.
