New St. Paul Market Aims To Make Life Easier On Local Food Makers

SAINT PAUL, MN — Kayla Yang-Best wants to make it easier for local food makers to sell their goods. As the owner of Spice Kitchen, which makes Asian foods not often found in Twin Cities grocery stores, she knows how hard it is for local creators to get their products into the major markets.

"There has to be more than what currently exists," Yang-Best, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, told Patch. "Even once I got into the market, I’m not breaking even."

Creating a more cooperative business environment for local food startups was the inspiration behind Seasoned Specialty Foods, the market she and her husband recently opened on Grand Avenue near Lexington Parkway. The store is located in the house My Sister’s Closet previously occupied.

Seasoned's unique business model aims to combine a farmer’s market, a boutique food shop and a fully stocked grocery store all in one. Local producers that have fulfilled Minnesota’s food and beverage licensing requirements lease space in the Grand Avenue store. They choose the price of their product. And when someone buys their food, 100 percent of that money goes back to them.

Yang-Best believes her "co-retailing model" is superior to the retail markups used by major grocery stores where the producer has no control over the price. She hopes her model spreads, saying her ultimate goal is to make local food more accessible to everyone.

"[Local food makers] bring a level of culture and quality to our life."

Seasoned offers everything from ready-to-make meals to produce, meat, dairy, and speciality herbs and spices. It also has a deli selling to-go soups, salads and sandwiches.

Photos by William Bornhoft/Patch.com