PORTLAND, Ore.—Green Zebra, a Portland-based healthy convenience store with three locations, announced that it is winding down operations after 10 years in business. All three Green Zebra stores will close on March 31.
Since being founded in 2013, Green Zebra has sought to redefine what it means to be a convenience store in America, the company said. Green Zebra offered customers made-from-scratch grab-and-go meals, a full-service coffee bar, kombucha Zlurpees, locally sourced meat, produce and groceries along with the best local beer selection in Oregon.
In addition, Green Zebra supported its staff with fair wage jobs, increasing the internal minimum wage seven times in its 10-year history and offering affordable health insurance for all staff and their dependents.
“We have been holding on by a thread since the pandemic started and have been in austerity mode since then,” said Lisa Sedlar, Green Zebra founder and CEO. “We experienced nine straight quarters of increases to our cost of goods, packaging, fuel, insurance, taxes, freight charges and well, pretty much everything. Combine that with supply chain and staffing shortages and razor-thin grocery margins, we just couldn’t overcome all the obstacles. We definitely gave it our all and fought the good fight. We are thankful for the opportunity to have been in service to our community.”
As a values-based business, Green Zebra has been a champion for the local food economy, as well as serving and supporting the communities surrounding each of its stores, the company said. Over the years, Green Zebra partnered with more than 100 different local nonprofits such as Harper’s Playground, Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, Meals on Wheels and PSU Food Pantry.
Green Zebra is committed to ensuring an orderly transition. “We will pay all of our team members in full, including their accrued vacation hours,” said Sedlar. “In addition, I am personally reaching out to other local grocery leaders and encouraging them to hire our team members,” she added.
Watch a video of NACS visiting Green Zebra in 2019.