Last updated on July 30th, 2024
PCC Community Markets (PCC), one of Seattle’s original grocers and the largest community-owned food market in the U.S., will open its 13th store in Ballard at 1451 Northwest 46th Street on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. Inspired by Ballard’s nautical roots, the 24,000-s.f. store will have the co-op’s first fast casual restaurant, a rooftop deck, a sea life-inspired mural, an octopus fishing lure art installation and more.
PCC will bring more than 100 union jobs to the area with its Ballard store. The co-op will also continue to support local organizations through volunteering and providing donations and grants, as it has over the last three decades. PCC will partner with a variety of community groups, including Ballard Food Bank, Ballard Alliance, Sustainable Ballard, Seattle Fisherman’s Memorial and several schools in the area.
“The passion for craft that Ballard nurtures through its many local producers, shops and restaurants is one that we embrace in our stores daily,” said Cate Hardy, PCC Community Markets CEO. “From the skill of our butchers and chefs to our long-standing relationships with local, small and mid-sized farmers, producers, ranchers and fishers, we share many of the same values that ground this community. Our new store captures Ballard’s maritime roots, industrial influence, love of food and unique sense of place—all under the bustle of the Ballard Bridge. It’s an homage to one of Seattle’s most storied neighborhoods, and a beautiful addition to our co-op.”
In addition to an organic produce department, full-service meat and seafood counter and made-from-scratch deli, the new Ballard location will feature a rooftop deck and a 25-seat, fast casual restaurant serving made-to-order seafood dishes and local wine, beer and cider. The venue will feature items such as fresh Northwest Seafood Cioppino, Creamy Clam Chowder with Bacon, Red Curry and Lemongrass Clams and Mussels and Northwest Clam Bake.
As with all PCC locations, more than 95 percent of PCC’s produce selection is organic; its meats are 100 percent organic, non-GMO or grass fed; its seafood is sustainably sourced adhering to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch standards; and, whenever possible, the co-op sources its products from local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishers. Using those same ingredients, PCC chefs make salads, soups, entrées and side dishes fresh from scratch daily in each store’s on-site kitchen.
Additional highlights of the new Ballard store include:
- Full-service meat and seafood, sustainably sourced and cut-to-order.
- A carefully curated selection of 100 percent Pacific Northwest-produced spirits to complement the co-op’s collection of exclusive wines and local beers and ciders.
- A café featuring handcrafted, certified organic espresso and tea beverages and freshly baked goods.
- PCC’s large selection of bulk items including everything from flours, rice and nuts to olive oil and new non-food items like bath salts, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner.
- Made-from-scratch deli offerings that can be taken to go, enjoyed in the dining area or on the new roof including:
- PCC Taqueria with pork adobado, beef barbacoa, chicken verde and a rotating plant-based protein as well as rice and beans, and freshly prepared salsas;
- PCC Pizzeria showcasing fresh-baked pizza made in-house;
- PCC Grain Bowls which are customizable with a wide range of flavors like roasted sesame gochujang and lemon harissa dressing;
- Self-serve offerings, including an antipasti bar, PCC Yogurt Bar featuring PCC Organic Grass-fed Yogurt, hot bar with scratch-made dishes like Moroccan Lemon Chicken and Glazed Tempeh Fajitas, and cold bar with a variety of organic salad ingredients and more.
Ballard will continue the co-op’s dedication to sustainability as PCC’s second store to pursue the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification green building standard. The LBC, run by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), will come to life through unique store elements such as reclaimed, sustainably sourced and nontoxic building materials; energy-efficient systems that lower climate impact and public art and design features.
PCC is pursuing the LBC Place, Beauty and rigorous Materials Petals. As part of the Beauty Petal Certification for LBC, PCC enlisted Seattle illustrator and artist Kyler Martz to create a vestibule art installation that pays tribute to the nautical history of Ballard and the Puget Sound, home to the world’s largest species of octopus. The installation features a 16-foot-tall octopus as a nod to boat building and fishing lures, as well as an underwater-themed mural. The Ballard location was a collaboration with PCC architect of record MG2 and Graham Baba, both Seattle-based. The developer is Regency Centers and the general contractor is Woodman Construction Inc.
PCC veteran James Parker will serve as store director. Parker accepted what he thought was a temporary job out of college as a cashier at the Seward Park store 10 years ago and has since worked in a variety of roles at Seward Park before moving on to assistant store director at Issaquah, store director at Green Lake Aurora and most recently, store director of the Edmonds store. He will be joined by a team of more than 100, including chefs, licensed meat cutters and grocery, produce, beer and wine and health and body care staff.
