Jersey City is home to some excellent, veggie-friendly spots. Subia’s, Tea NJ, Pet Shop Bar, and Whealth immediately come to mind. However, a new shop by the name of Plant Base is looking to become the first vegan and zero waste market in the state.
Part market, part vegan cafe, and part community hub — Plant Base will be a one-stop shop for all of your veggie needs. Located at 370 Pacific Avenue in Bergen-Lafayette, the new shop will be animal- and waste-free.
This means that single-use packaging like plastics, cardboard boxes, and styrofoam will not be used at the shop. Instead, Plant Base will rely on reusable materials like tote bags and mason jars to store and sell groceries. The goal is to create a shop that’s a million times more efficient than your typical grocery store.
For shoppers that also means you’ll have to bring your own containers. However, the upside is that you’ll benefit from lower prices since you’re only paying for what you purchase without having to pay for packaging or branding. (Plant Base will also have glass containers readily available at the store that shoppers can rent/return or buy).
Accessibility & Affordability For Everyone
“Affordability and accessibility are our main goals,” says co-owner Andy Hertz. Along with co-owner Dhruva LaTorre, the duo want to make sure that everyone can afford to come here and buy healthy food.
Among the many natural, unpackaged products that will fill the shelves at Plant Base are bulk nuts, seeds, and legumes; in-house made body care products; and natural household products. Prepared foods, juices, coffee and tea will also be available. Plant Base will partner with local farms and providers when possible. For instance, they will carry Jersey City-based Non-Nocere Kombucha and they’re looking to carry produce from Newark’s AeroFarms — an indoor, vertical, aeroponic farm.
A Bergen-Lafayette resident and vegan, Hertz informs us that his desire to launch a waste- and animal-free market stems from animal rights activism as the founder of of Not Lost, a direct-action animal rights collective. As a result, Plant Base will be much more than a grocery store. The shop will host vegan talks, movie screenings, and double as a community hub for Jersey City residents interested in a vegan/waste-free lifestyle.
The long-term goal is to launch similar hubs in other communities where access to affordable, healthy food is limited, says LaTorre. Jersey City is just the beginning.
Plant Base Open House This Weekend
Plant Base will have an open house this coming weekend. They will open Saturday (July 20) from 12pm to 8pm and Sunday (July 21) from 12pm to 10pm. Customers can drop by the market and checkout the painting of the shop’s exterior and meet the owners. Plant Base looks to fully open on August 3. You can check out their website here or follow them on Instagram.
