Homegrown Food reopens in Rountree neighborhood

As of July 11, Homegrown Food is open again.

"We're maybe three-quarters open," owner Rob Bailey said Thursday, "but we've got all our licenses, and we decided to get started."

Married couple Rob and Jackie Bailey are the third set of owners for the small-scale grocery store in the Rountree neighborhood.

Founded in 2010 by Amanda Milsap Owen, Homegrown Food has always focused on local produce and hard-to-find products, according to past News-Leader coverage.

Today, the store is back at it: The Baileys stock things like eggs from Scheve Farms in Willard, Sassy's Goodies dog treats from Commercial Street, and produce from farms such as Urban Roots, Milsap and Fassnight Creek, among more than 30 local vendors. Coolers stock beer and cane-sugar sodas. They're also a community-supported agriculture drop-off site, and they carry non-food items like pottery and jewelry by Missouri artisans.

Meanwhile, Jackie Bailey said they make an effort to stock some typical grocery items that cost less, so customers have a choice. Example: They carry grass-fed beef and regular beef.

The store's revival comes after a series of changes: Six years ago, Homegrown Food began in a small building at Cherry Street and Pickwick Avenue that's now occupied by a cafe, Cherry Picker Package x Fare.

Later, it moved to bigger space in the building next door, 607 S. Pickwick Ave., where it's been ever since.

Entrepreneur Brad Nelson bought the store in 2012, then closed it in late Janary.

The Baileys bought the store in March, making several interior changes

They moved the cash register, cleared way for a French door to open up onto the patio area that's shared with nearby businesses, and stripped out barn wood that covered the walls. Now the place is painted a cream color for a "coastal" vibe that recalls Jackie Bailey's childhood years in Virginia.

This fall, Rob Bailey said they plan to add a selection of beers on draft available at a small bar in the back of the store, which will also have a kitchen area for prepared foods.

The Baileys declined to say how much they paid for the business or what they're spending in rehabbing the store's interior.

Rob Bailey said they are leasing the store at least through 2018 from Owen Holdings LLC, which is owned by Amanda Milsap Owen and her husband, Ryan Owen. He declined to say how much they're paying.

Husband and wife said they were eager to start a new chapter in their professional lives.

After various careers working for large companies, including wine rep, pharmaceutical rep (Rob) and marketing pro and hairstylist (Jackie), the thought of catering to a neighborhood community was appealing, they said.

A few years ago, they bought a house a few blocks away from Homegrown Food and began enjoying Rountree's close-knit, walkable character.

"It's almost like this neighborhood is like when we were kids," Jackie Bailey said. "The community is great."

It's also a "highly professionalized" neighborhood, in Rob Bailey's words, that takes pride in supporting the small businesses clustered around Cherry and Pickwick. (The U.S. Census tract for that part of town has a median income of $31,146 per household, on the high side for central Springfield.)

Since they bought the store, the Baileys said they've had good public response, not least from young families who come by with their kids. Youngsters get to use a special child-sized shopping cart they keep on hand.

The Baileys staff the store themselves: "It's literally a mom-and-pop operation," Jackie Bailey said.

Meanwhile, the couple is undeterred by Springfield's crowded landscape of grocery stores.

"We're a one-of-a-kind, hybrid spot," Rob Bailey said. "We aren't competing with Walmart or Price Cutter."

A separate business, Butcher + Baker, continues to operate in the back of the building. It sells artisanal breads and baked goods, along with local meats, sausages and a menu of gourmet sandwiches and hot dogs.

Want to go?

Homegrown Food
607 S. Pickwick Ave., 417-868-7004
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday,  9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
Learn more on the store's Facebook page.