THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605030230
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 38 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
One of Chesapeake's newest additions to the business community hopes to cater to the area's health minded residents. Advanced Nutrition, a health food and nutrition store, recently opened its doors on Volvo Parkway.
The store is the third branch of the local company, which has locations in Yorktown and Virginia Beach.
The owner and president of the company, David Leggee, decided it was time to open a branch in Chesapeake when he noticed a good deal of his inquiries about homeopathic medicine and organic products were coming from Chesapeake residents.
``Dennis has a radio talk show on WNIS, and many of his callers lived in this area,'' said Marilyn Alli, manager of the Chesapeake store.
The store is packed with homegrown and organically grown products from fresh vegetables to packaged dry goods such as vegetable chips, organic brown rice and organic cereals. The store also has an ample supply of vitamin supplements and canned foods, including organic baby food and soy milk.
There's even a small section of organic vegetarian pet foods and earth friendly shampoos for dogs and cats.
But Ken Israel, manager of the Virginia Beach store, said the products alone don't set Advanced Nutrition apart from traditional supermarkets and drugstores. It's the way the products are grown.
``The companies we work with grow or produce products with a stewardship approach, looking at the earth as a partner rather than as a disposable resource,'' said Israel.
That means that the organic produce and packaged products like tea, rice, barley and other edibles are grown without pesticides, fungicides or radiation.
The fresh produce section is seasonally limited and recently included fresh vegetables and fruits such as mushrooms, kiwi fruit, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, celery, lemons, mangos, carrots and lettuce.
``We're planning to increase the fresh produce line and add a natural cosmetic line,'' said Alli. Management also hopes to add a bulk herb section so that shoppers can buy fresh oregano, basil, dill and other herbs in both small and large quantities.
The store's frozen food section is limited but includes such foods as vegetable pockets, vegetarian burritos and turkey burgers.
``The poultry is also organic. They're raised without chemicals and steroids,'' said Alli.
Although health food might not be everyone's cup of tea, management said the Chesapeake community has kept them busy.
``We have area dietitians, physicians and chiropractors sending their patients here for various items,'' said Alli.
According to Israel, the store has attracted shoppers from all age groups.
``We have very wide demographics. We do get a lot of young people in here, but older people are starting to get interested in our products, too,'' he said. by CNB