What makes this downtown Phoenix micro-market more than a designer condiment shop

Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic

April 7, 2023 at 11:22 PM·4 min read

In early February, Neighbor Market opened in the space formerly occupied by Sauvage at The Churchill in downtown Phoenix. Owners Asta Fletcher and Kaitlynn Boyd sell a curated selection of snacks, spices, sauces and natural wines at the boutique market.

Fletcher fell in love with markets in college as she worked through several positions at an Italian deli, from cashier to barista to ordering products.

"I just loved being a part of a neighborhood market, knowing the customers by name and learning more about local purveyors," Fletcher said. After college, as a marketer, the more she sat behind the computer, the more she missed that connection to community.

During the pandemic, Fletcher, met her now business partner Boyd at First Place Coffee where she worked as a barista. The two women, who live in the same neighborhood, became fast friends and realized their shared love of community.

They decided to open a market together, a place where locals could gather and out-of-towners could learn about local vendors.

Neighbor Market co-owners Asta Fletcher, left, and Kaitlynn Boyd pose for a portrait inside their shop at The Churchill in downtown Phoenix on March 24, 2023.

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Neighbor Market is all about community

Boyd and Fletcher explained that Neighbor Market is the kind of place where they'll get to know you, your preferences and even your pets. Like Cheers, but for foodies.

They recommend visiting not only on the busy weekend days, but also during the week when there will be greater opportunities to meet other foodies and maybe even exchange recipes.

On a recent visit during the soft opening, Boyd chatted with visitors and handed out treats made by a local vendor to customers' dogs. She invited people into the cozy shop to explore the merchandise, asked for their food allergies and recommended appropriate products.

Part of a wall had handwritten well wishes left by the visitors.

"Someone called us com somm for condiment sommeliers," Boyd said.

What does Neighbor Market sell

The shelves are divided with one side displaying cooking spices, sauces and dips, arranged by region and cuisine. The other side contains snacks and a fridge is stocked with wine and nonalcoholic beverages, like kombucha. Other offerings include pickles, pasta, bread, crackers, natural wines, coffee beans and sweets.

"If you have kids, or a large party that prefers to just get snacks, come in," Boyd said. "Or grab some charcuterie and head over to Hance Park for a picnic."

The store tries to highlight small local, national and even international businesses.

A view inside Neighbor Market at The Churchill in downtown Phoenix on March 24, 2023.

"I've noticed that grocery stores are all about politics," Fletcher said. "We have a trail mix from Tudaloo that we can't keep on the shelves, but at Sprouts it's on the bottom shelf, so no one sees it. We're trying to bring these small businesses into the forefront."

For local businesses, they went hyperlocal. "All of our local products come from downtown Phoenix farmers market vendors," Boyd said. They hope to direct foot traffic to those vendors as well.

You can find demi baguettes from Nice Buns Bakery, coffee from Mythical Coffee and dog treats from Desert Dog Treat Bar.

"Think of it as perfect gifts for a foodie," Fletcher said.

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A neighborhood gourmet market is right at home in downtown Phoenix

The community has been very welcoming of the market. "People have started calling us Neighborhood Market," Boyd said. Repeat customers stop by almost on a daily basis to grab a drink or say hi.

Currently, the owners also host craft hangouts on the last Sunday of each month for which they invite artists to help people with creative projects like collages and floral arrangements with pay-as-you-go workshops.

In the future, the duo hopes to start a cookbook library inspired by the Little Free Libraries, where people can take a book and leave a book. They also envision supper clubs, where once a month people can come together to make a themed dinner.

"We want people to have the ability to come in and feel like they belong to something a little bit bigger without having to make a purchase," Boyd said.