From The January/February 2003 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

A Natural Road Show

An unusual reaction to a meal at a fast-food restaurant led Greg Madsen to switch to a diet of natural and organic food.

"My tongue had swollen up," Madsen recalls.

He made the switch after consulting a naturopathic doctor. While it was easy to maintain his diet at home in Austin, Texas, Madsen traveled frequently for work and found it difficult to find sources for natural and organic foods—from retailers or restaurants—on the road. His frustration gave rise to TravelOrganic.com, a Web site launched last summer for those who want to take their "organic lifestyle" with them when they travel.

"Whenever I went on the road, it was very difficult to support my lifestyle. Every city I went to, I tried to take notes on where to find things," recalls Madsen. "I knew there had to be other people like me."

Since its launch, TravelOrganic.com has been directing consumers to nearly 1,300 organic friendly businesses in 35 cities. Site visitors type in a city and are referred to various businesses—from restaurants to supermarkets—catering to the natural and organic consumer. Visitors and businesses can also make recommendations of their own.

In its first two months online, the site attracted some 18,000 unique visitors. Madsen says the numerous e-mails asking for help finding unique products and services has prompted the company to consider adding a fee-based, online concierge service to handle special requests.

—Connie Guglielmo