Cherie Reed decided to open the 100% plant-based specialty grocer Mashup Market in April 2020 after tiring of always making multiple store trips to hunt down her favorite plant-based products. Like a fully vegan restaurant, she wanted a store where she could walk in and know every product was available to her.
“That’s the idea — providing this really friendly environment (where you) know that everything on those shelves has been vetted for you and you don’t have to worry about reading labels,” Reed adds.
100% Plant-Based
Reed says the term “mashup” refers to a collection of things that are different, yet with something in common. “So that means all of our products are plant-based, meaning there is no dairy, eggs, seafood, meat, or ‘derivative of’ products in our store,” she explains.
Because all of the food products in the market are plant-based, that also means they’re naturally 100% dairy-free, Reed says. Additionally, more than half of the store’s food items are gluten-free.
“We also have soy-free (products),” she adds. “And we have some amazing plant-based seafood alternatives. So shrimp and scallops that are not only 100% plant-based, meaning no seafood, but they’re also co-packaged in a non-cross contamination environment, so there’s zero risk of seafood contamination for folks that have that allergy.”
Reed recently launched a new deli service the Mashup Market UNT location on West Hickory Street. The deli counter offers freshly-made hot and cold sandwiches that are all 100% plant-based. Sandwiches include the Classic Italian, “Homestyle Roast BEef” and “TRKY Rueben.” The deli also serves up three different styles of pub-style nachos.
In addition to food items, Mashup Market also carries retail items that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. “Things like faux leather backpacks, bags, (and) clothing that are all developed using either low water consuming plants, no animal product, or recycled plastics,” Reed details.
Local & Small Business Focused
In addition to focusing on being plant-based and allergen friendly, Mashup Market also works to support the small business community.
“While we carry some things you might find at Sprouts or Kroger or Whole Foods, the majority of our product line we work directly with the vendor and distributors that only support small vendors,” Reed explains. “The majority of our product line is not on any other shelf in the Denton County area.”
“That just also means they’re small batch, super unique and they tend to be cleaner because they are not these huge production companies that start to move towards fillers and cheaper product development costs,” she adds.
And Reed says they also try to turn to local vendors first before anyone else. For example, the store carries products from a number of UNT alumni. “We start with the local City of Denton and then we do North Texas, Texas, and then the United States,” she adds.
In addition to spotlighting small businesses with products in the store, Mashup Market also supports them by providing them the opportunity to do a food truck pop-up outside the store.
“We have them come from as far as LA, San Antonio, Oklahoma, or even local Denton,” Reed says. “The only requirement is their menu has to be 100% vegan. That gives them sort of some outreach and a way to give their products some product awareness. And then it provides Denton and North Texas with access to their product where normally they may (not pop) up in Texas or they only pop up Dallas, which is a long drive. The community has access to new, different, and unique foods they might not otherwise have.”
Community-Minded
Mashup Market also provides a number of resources for those looking to add more plant-based foods into their diet.
For example, Reed says right now the store provides private consultations at no charge. “If somebody is interested in understanding how to include more plant-based items into their diet, we’ll work with them on a plan that really introduces them slowly to things that they’re familiar with that aren’t super hardcore, so it’s not a shock,” she explains.
The Mashup Market website offers an entire resources section including a Denton Vegan Food Directory, recipes, and educational resources including movies, books, and Facebook groups.
Additionally, every January the store celebrates “Veganuary” with the Mashup Market Vegan Challenge.
“It’s a challenge for individuals to commit to going vegan for a month, kind of like dry January for alcohol,” Reed says. “When they join that challenge, there’s a drawing at the end. We generally give away a prize, which is a gift certificate to shop at the store. They get entries based on the number of weeks of success. So the more successful they are, the more entry options they get.”
And regardless of where you are in your plant-based food journey, Reed stresses there is something for everyone at Mashup Market.
“You don’t have to be plant-based, you don’t even have to have a desire to be plant-based,” Reed explains. “We work hard to curate a product selection that is just simply unique and delicious. We do have some imports of sauces from Italy and oils from Greece that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. It’s just delicious food and a lot of it is just naturally that way.”
Mashup Market offers two locations in Denton: Mashup Market Downtown at 316 East Oak Street and Mashup Market UNT at 1302 West Hickory Street. For more information, visit mashupmarketandgrocery.com or follow Mashup Market on Facebook and Instagram.