Opening at the North 麻豆传媒映画Shipyards feels like coming home for Ryan Dennis, who spent 25 years in the grocery business before deciding to open his own store.
He鈥檚 the third generation of his family to work on the North 麻豆传媒映画waterfront at the foot of Lonsdale.
Larry鈥檚 Market owner Ryan Dennis has brought in chef Haley Parrent to prepare menus for specific dietary needs. Photo by Mike Wakefield/North Shore News
鈥淢y grandparents met here in 1944,鈥� says Dennis. 鈥淢y grandpa was a crane operator. I pulled up his time card at the North 麻豆传媒映画archives in Lynn Valley 鈥� he was making a $1.89 an hour. My grandma was a secretary here.鈥�
Dennis鈥� dad, his maternal grandfather, two uncles and an aunt also worked at one time or another in the Shipyards.
The concept behind Larry鈥檚 Market originated when Dennis and his family began leaning towards a vegetarian diet and found the search more of a chore than it should be.
Larry鈥檚 Market aims to correct that imbalance operating as a full grocery store and caf茅 with special menus developed by chef Brian Skinner of The Acorn and prepared in-house by the caf茅鈥檚 holistic nutritionist chef Haley Parrent.
People who just want to eat healthier, vegans and those with special dietary requirements will all find products that fit their needs.
鈥淚 wanted to bring healthy food to a convenience format,鈥� says Dennis. 鈥淭he only way we felt we could get that healthy food was through opening up a store that focuses on organic produce and healthy foods that don鈥檛 include refined sugars. Basically everything in our store is organic or local.鈥�
Products in Larry鈥檚 Market include produce shipped from Blue House Organics in Pemberton and a special sourdough bread made by The Modern Pantry on Old Dollarton Road. 鈥�(Kendall Gustavson) uses a 30-year-old sourdough culture that鈥檚 from her mom,鈥� says Dennis. 鈥淲e are the only ones that have it. We鈥檝e had a great response to the product and can hardly keep her bread on the shelves.鈥�
Larry鈥檚 Market鈥檚 Ryan Dennis stocks shelves with sourdough bread from The Modern Pantry. Photo by Mike Wakefield/North Shore News
Larry鈥檚 Market launched with a soft opening a few weeks ago but the anticipation was already there before the first customer went through the door.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing,鈥� says Dennis. 鈥淲e had a lineup waiting for us on opening day and every day since. There are 10 buildings around us and I鈥檝e seen people come down in pyjamas to grab milk. You鈥檙e walking out your front door and you鈥檝e got a grocery store right there. We鈥檝e had great support from the community and people who are vegetarian come (from far and wide) to find a store where they can purchase anything they want.
鈥淟arry鈥檚 my middle name. We wanted a name that spoke to everybody. When somebody comes in and says 鈥榃ho鈥檚 Larry?鈥� I turn around to the team and they say. 鈥榃e are all Larry!鈥� Larry鈥檚 everybody.鈥�
Larry鈥檚 Market is located at 140-125 Victory Ship Way in North Vancouver.
