Turnip Truck lets good, natural food do the talking at retail

Founded by John Dyke in 2001, Turnip Truck is a Nashville, Tennessee-based natural foods grocer with two locations. Along with a healthy selection of natural foods, both stores offer prepared foods, including hot and cold bars and made-to-order deli sandwiches, as well as bulk items, meat, beer and wine, household supplies, supplements, HABA, gifts and floral. Each store also features a juice bar, and the East Nashville location has a bakery. “We believe in the simple, timeless power of ethically grown, locally harvested food,” Dyke says.

Here are three innovative ways Turnip Truck manifests this belief:

Engaging millennials. Millennials make up a large portion of the store’s customer base, so Turnip Truck prioritizes this demographic. “Our team is inspired by the energy and creativity of today’s young adults,” Dyke says. “To remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace, we tailor our stores to best serve this connected, thoughtful generation.”

Expanding beyond store walls. Turnip Truck pushes boundaries, both figuratively and literally. From considering beehives and greenhouses on its rooftop to partnering with local farmers to investing in people who’ll carry the natural foods torch into the future, Turnip Truck leadership is continually branching out.

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Proving good food for all. Though the prepared foods department boasts items made from whole ingredients, Turnip Truck’s patrons are not exclusively natural foods shoppers. “They come because our fresh, seasonal and often regional fare is, quite simply, delicious,” Dyke says. “With seasoned food-industry veterans on our team, we work to delight our customers’ taste buds while delivering the high-quality healthy food that is our trademark.”