BY JULIA DUDA

 

Last summer, after a 40-year tenure at the corner of East Bay and Society streets, Mike Bailey was forced to shut down the Vegetable Bin. But that bad news soon turned around: The Bailey family reopened not just one, but two new stores: The original Vegetable Bin was resurrected as the Veggie Bin, now at 96 Spring Street; and the Veggie Bin II opened at 1012 East Montague Avenue, near Park Circle in North Charleston. Fresh produce fans rejoiced.

      The original Vegetable Bin opened on East Bay in 1975 by Bailey’s grandfather, Billy Leonard. Since inheriting the story from his grandfather, Bailey and his wife, Lauren, have established themselves as the produce people in downtown Charleston. In addition to serving locally grown fruits and vegetables, the Baileys also offer shelf-space to independent food retailers and foster collaboration between local farmers, artisans and retailers. 

      Walking into the Veggie Bin, customers are first greeted with the earthy smell of produce. Customers browse through old-fashioned wooden vegetable bins that line the walls of the store. The golden summer squash and burnt orange carrot bins stand out among the rust-colored potatoes. Bailey positions himself at the front of the store, where he greets and checks-out customers at the register. Lauren packages cucumbers, onions and carrots at a worktable set up at the rear of the store.

      College students, elderly neighborhood women and business professionals in suits meander through the store, checking out the produce and the center aisles, which feature a variety of packaged goods. “I like talking to people. Being with customers is fun,” says Bailey. He especially likes repeat customers, who, he says, he gets to know personally.

      Mike and Lauren met while working at Urban Electric Company (UEC), where they were making copper lanterns. Looking for a career change, they decided to go to work for Mike’s grandfather at the Vegetable Bin. Content with a career in produce, they eventually took over the company.

      Although the Bailey family specializes in fresh, quality produce, what they really value are products made by family-owned businesses and independent entrepreneurs. That’s why customers can choose from an array of products from small retailers who make their own packaging and labels.

      Take, for instance, Mrs. Sassard’s Artichoke Relish. Allen Sassard, great-grandson of Mrs. Sassard, owns and operates the small canning business that originally started on Church Street in 1917. Mrs. Sassard’s relish and assorted jams can be found at small independent grocery stores throughout the greater Charleston area, including the Veggie Bin. The Veggie Bin also offers products like the Rising Sun Thai Coconut Water and Emil’s Granola. “We’re pretty open to anything anybody wants us to try, as long as we sample it first,” said Bailey.  

      Joseph Margarite, owner of Rising Sun Thai Coconut Water, has known the Baileys since 2012, when he first approached the couple about selling his water. Even though Margarite’s coconut water isn’t produced locally (it’s made in Thailand), he makes a point of selling it locally.  “Charleston is a very hospitable community, especially the folks at the Veggie Bin, who would do anything to help out local producers and entrepreneurs,” says Maragarite. He has noticed an encouraging trend in the Lowcountry: “If you’re local, you’re in.”

      The Veggie Bin gets the majority of its produce from such local farms as Earl Freeman’s farm on John’s Island and Wishbone Heritage Farms in Ridgeville, S.C. For off-season produce, the Veggie Bin uses North Charleston produce wholesalers GrowFood Carolina, and Limehouse Produce.

      Having opened the Veggie Bin II in February, the Baileys are already planning for more stores. Eventually we would like to have a location in every borough, from West Ashley to James Island and even Mt. Pleasant,” says Lauren. The number of stores may increase, they say, but the business model will stay the same: locally grown and made products. They want the food to be grown near Charleston, to stay in Charleston and to be enjoyed by all Charlestonians—a standard the Bailey family has been priding itself in for generations.