Co-owned by sixth generation British Columbia resident Darcey Houser, who’s been an entrepreneur since the age of 15 and worked in the grocery business for most of his career, Freshmart is a business built on supporting the local community.
Houser attributes this spirit of kindness and generosity, which extends to both customers and his employees, as the reason locals make the full-service supermarket in East Vancouver their grocer of choice. “We have built so much goodwill over the years. We’ve sponsored teams and supported local potlucks,” he explains. “We have a file full of thank you letters given to us.”
Located at East 1st Avenue and Commercial Drive, Freshmart is an integral part of Vancouver’s iconic Commercial Drive neighbourhood. Darcey and his business partner are free to source a certain percentage of goods from any supplier they choose, and they tend to focus on local. “Being an entrepreneur myself, I think it’s important to support other local entrepreneurs,” he says.
The friendly staff are also a big part of the shopping experience at Freshmart. “We have 500 years of experience combined on our staff,” Houser explains. “They’re very loyal people. They’re loyal to us and we’re loyal to them,” he continues.
Houser mentions one particular fellow who has become a respected ambassador for Freshmart. Houser hired Niall McNeil, a young man with Down Syndrome, to pack groceries when he was just starting out. Today, he’s beloved by Freshmart’s customers and staff, and is also an accomplished actor, writer, and director.
Houser says staff loyalty was on full display during the pandemic, when business doubled overnight. “Our staff put their running shoes on and worked tirelessly to serve our customers.”
Freshmart is also known for offering convenience around the clock. In fact, they are the only supermarket in the Lower Mainland open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Soon, Freshmart will acknowledge its location on the unceded traditional territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations with a piece of art created by a local Indigenous man, placed in the grocery store above the office door. “Loblaws asked if we wanted to be the pilot store for the land acknowledgment” says Houser.
Art Bolton, who lives just a few steps from the store and shops there every day, created a commission depicting three hummingbirds, each representing the three Indigenous nations. “We needed to have a local artist do it in a West Coast style,” Houser explains.
Houser and his grandson worked together to build the frame using yellow cedar from Houser’s own backyard. “Art is 75 years old and went to a residential school in Port Alberni. It’s important that we learn about [what happened] because it’s an important part of our history,” Houser says.
A ceremony commemorating the hanging of the painting will be organized, and local elders will be invited to participate. “We are displaying the acknowledgement in our store as a show of respect for the First Nations people and their long history that existed before we arrived,” says Houser.
For more information, visit www.vancouverfreshmart98.com.
