Leo’s IGA Ascot to open vegan organic gluten free section The Green Room
A grocer whose family has run independent grocery shops for more than 50 years says vegan, organic and gluten free diets are the future. He’s setting up a mini-supermarket to cater to them.
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A VEGAN, organic and gluten-free “supermarket within a supermarket” and juice bar will open in Leo’s IGA this winter in a bid to pull in the growing vegan movement.
Leo Sirianni will devote 80 sqm of his 560 sqm Leo’s IGA to vegan, organic and gluten-free products, including frozen meals prepared by a chef and a vegan juice and breakfast bar.
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“We’re making a supermarket within a supermarket, which will be GVO — gluten-free, vegan, organic — The Green Room will be its own supermarket within a supermarket,” he said.
“Moving forward, anything vegan, gluten free, organic — sorry but I believe that’s the way everyone’s going. I’m not lying, that’s the way I look at it.”
Mr Sirianni said more people were taking up vegan, plus organic and gluten-free diets, for health reasons and “it wasn’t a small market anymore”.
“Ten years ago? I think you might have heard a little bit about it. In the last three years, everyone talks about it,” he said.
“Vegans are copping a slamming at the moment, but if you look I think you’d be surprised, about 40 per cent of the store would (already) be vegan, including fresh produce.”
He said apart from The Green Edge in Windsor and Charlie’s Raw Squeeze, the growing vegan market was “a little bit untapped” in Brisbane’s northside.
Leo’s IGA is a one minute walk from Coles Ascot and a three minute drive from the new mega-Woolworths at Racecourse Village Shopping Centre.
Mr Sirianni is blunt about going up against the duopoly in such close quarters — “it’s very difficult” — but wants the The Green Room to give the shop an edge.
“Whenever I talk to people about it, it’s a conversation that gets the table talking, it gets people excited, it is the way of the future,” he said.
“The bigger picture is to get people from outside the community, in. The selection that we’ll have on hand, we’ll be able to attract a broader market out there to come in.”
His family has owned Sirianni’s IGA on Alexandra Rd, Ascot, for just over half a century added Leo’s IGA to the stable two years ago.
Would he have ever imagined vegan, organic and gluten-free foods becoming so big?
“Ah, no. Not back then when I was growing up, to be honest.
“Our background being Italian is fresh foods, your Italian foods, your delicatessen meats and that’s the way I’ve grown up.
“But we can’t be their old supermarket, we need to change with the times.”
He plans to launch The Green Room in June, with a market day, festival-style event with taste testing from the many local suppliers he wants to stock.
Mr Sirianni wants his supermarket’s vegan, organic and gluten-free ranges to be as large and as affordable as possible.
To stay up-to-date with the launch date, visit LEO’S IGA Racecourse Rd on Facebook or phone 3608 4209.
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