HEALTH AND WELLNESS PIONEER MOTHER’S MARKET & KITCHEN OFFERS LIFELINE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES STRUGGLING TO KEEP EMPLOYEES WORKING AMIDST CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Grocer offers local providers a place on their shelves

COSTA MESA, Calif., Mar. 19, 2020 — Mother’s Market & Kitchen, a 40-year pioneer in the health food movement in Southern California, today announced a fast-track, online process to enable qualified local businesses impacted by the coronavirus crisis the ability to quickly get their food and products into Mother’s stores.

“We are working to help local food producers affected by the restaurant, hotel and resort closures by putting their quality products on our shelves,” said Dorothy Carlow, CEO, Mother’s Market & Kitchen. “As a local business that supports other local businesses, we invite local vendors to bring us their quality products.”

One such provider, a testament to the success of the grocer’s program, is women-owned small business BREAD Artisan Bakery. Last week, Santa Ana-based bakery owner Jonnie LoFranco found herself wondering how she could ensure her employees continued to earn wages when the bakery’s customers — including its biggest customer, a major theme park in Anaheim – shut their doors. “Mother’s Market & Kitchen provided a lifeline to me and my employees. Mother’s reached out to us and today, in less than a week’s time, BREAD is Mother’s featured artisan bread provider and helping to satisfy our communities’ vital need for food staples,” stated LoFranco.

While the company is committed to considering all qualified, quality providers, Mother’s Market & Kitchen plans to initially select vendors who can offer such supply-challenged products as soups, pastas, sauces, paper products/toilet paper, bread, yogurt, and organic produce.

Local providers are invited to apply for consideration at their online Local Vendor Fast-Track Application form. Food providers must meet stringent high-quality standards, including, but not limited to, natural and organic ingredients.