By: Kaeli Hearn
Have you ever wished that Pike Place Market was here in Bellingham? This week, I found Bellingham’s own Pike Place in the heart of downtown located on 1530 Cornwall Ave. This grocery store has the same eclectic feel as Pike Place including a coffee shop, video store, book store, an Ethiopian restaurant, a sushi restaurant, a juice bar and Living Earth Herbs. You can go here to grab lunch or coffee with a friend, read or do homework in the sitting area or stash up on local, organic grocery items.
Some of the prices are a little on the high side, but they offer discounts throughout the week that shred down some of the cost. For example, students receive 10 percent off everything in the store on Saturdays.
What I loved most about this spot was the uniqueness of the products. I saw brands and products here that I had never seen before. The market sells on-tap kombucha, bulk foods, gluten-free items, vegan items, ground coffee, meats, baking mixes, beauty products, wine, beer, local produce, Avenue Bread and the list goes on and on.
Every employee I came in contact with was friendly and gave great suggestions. One employee even offered me a free sample of the on-tap kombucha. I tried the apple spice flavor and it was delicious.
You can tell this is a place where people come to meet, eat and socialize. Two men were playing chess while two college students studied and a group of women ate sushi. The market is very open and has an inviting aesthetic. The aisles are very wide with signs promoting new, seasonal items.
I bought a vanilla gluten-free vegan cake mix for $3.99 that I am going to try this week. The other thing that drew me to this market was the emphasis on local business. They sell a variety of healthy, organic, local items that support the small businesses in the Bellingham community. For example, they sell energy bars that are made here in Bellingham as well as locally produced  kombucha, coffee, bread and beer. You leave feeling like you have helped support local businesses in our community.
The Bellingham Public Market is a great place to do some grocery shopping, grab lunch or an espresso. I will without a doubt be returning to this unique Bellingham spot.
