The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘MORE PEOPLE FIND US EVERY DAY’
Updated Rooted Market blends trend and tradition
WINSTED — Rooted Market was busy Wednesday afternoon. Customers strolled the aisles, choosing whole-grain bread, kale chips and vegan chocolates. Others headed straight for the upper level to peruse vitamins and supplements. Staff members Nicole Starr and Suzelle Cable were busy stocking shelves with new snacks, while owner Shane Centrella, who owns the store with his wife, Shannon, waited on a line of customers at the checkout counter.
The Centrellas took on the business, formerly known as the Health Food Corner, from Shannon’s parents, Robert and Susan Bailey, who ran the store for 15 years before retiring in 2020. The young couple has owned the store for a year.
“It was time for them to retire,” Shane Centrella said. “It was a lot for just two people, and they were ready.”
The Centrellas have made some changes to the interior, with new refrigerator cases, a lower-level yoga studio where Shannon Centrella leads classes, and a larger variety of food.
The pandemic affected businesses of every size and type, but Rooted Market is doing quite well, Shane Centrella said.
“I always wanted to run my own business, and it’s a good location,” he said. “We have a lot of regular customers, and more people find us every day.”
He said the pandemic caused people to look at ways to be more healthy. “The last year was the best in the history of the business,” he said. “It was crazy here. And we made a lot of changes.”
The Centrellas also hired more
staff, going from two employees to nine, including five part-timers and four full-time staff members. “There was a lot to do,” Centrella said.
He still has plans for more upgrades for Rooted.
“It’s ever-evolving,” he said. “Even when you’re doing well, you’ve got to keep up. We’re making changes as we can, as we go along.”
Rooted Market carries produce from local farmers and a few distributors; baked goods, also made locally; and three refrigerated cases filled with juices, vegetables and “meat” made with soy and other ingredients. There are baking mixes for brownies and muffins, dried seasonings, spices and herbs of every description, imported coffee and beverages, soups and vegetables, snacks and candy.
A display case with Divine Chocolate, a vegan brand based in Manchester, empties quickly “because it’s so good,” Centrella said.
A small collection of books can educate a shopper on how to get started as a vegetarian or vegan.
The store also caters to local crafters, including clothing, jewelry and soaps, displayed in a consignment section on the upper level. Starr’s daughter’s hand-painted jackets are for sale, as well as a collection of women’s clothing from Jackie McNamara, who recently opened Live, a boutique next door on Main Street.
Shane Centrella also is opening a second business in town, Be.Under.Par Performance, a virtual golf studio and outfitter set to open in June on Main Street.
“I’m a golfer — I’ve worked with youth programs and at golf courses, but I wanted to open my own business,” he said. “There’s nothing around here, and there are a lot of golfers. People will be able to come in and practice or play virtually, and they can also be professionally outfitted for their clubs.”
Starr, Rooted Market’s store manager, and Cable, the store’s longtime expert on vitamins and supplements, agreed that “health
food” has changed.
“See that box in the freezer? Those are mint chocolate-chip ice cream sandwiches, and they’re vegan,” Starr said. “I brought a box home and it didn’t last very long. They’re so good.
“Vegan is really blowing up right now. There’s a lot more information out there about how meat attacks your health system, about the food industries, that has caused people to look for alternatives,” she said. “Documentaries, books ... people have more access to information. Plant-based eating is more forgiving; vegan is more strict. It’s all a choice for people.”
Cable is a gluten-free cook, and said there are many more options for people seeking a healthier way of eating. “I’ve been cooking gluten-free for more than 36 years, and I’m happy to see more farms raising organic food,” she said.
Even people worried about the quality of their water can find a solution at Rooted.
“We have filters, we have safe drinking cups for people who are worried about contaminants,” Cable said. “We try to help.”
Rooted Market is located at 390 Main St. and can be reached by calling 860-7389222, or online at rootedmkt.com.