Jamie Michael Hemmings and Jilea Hemmings are the owners and creators of Nourish + Bloom Market. They began their journey into the food industry after their oldest son was diagnosed with Autism. This experience made them realize that everyone deserves access to healthy food. And through their Nourish + Bloom Markets, they will be able to accomplish this goal.
Nourish + Bloom Market is the first autonomous grocery store with robotic delivery in the United States and the first African American owned autonomous grocery store in the world. Nourish + Bloom is on a mission to make eating healthy and convenient. We believe that everyone deserves to eat healthy.
Nourish + Bloom offers locally sourced craft items, such as produce, meats, baked goods, dairy and prepared meals, alongside everyday convenience items with no checkout. The benefit of autonomous shopping, vending, and robotic delivery means you have 24/7/365 access to real food and environmentally friendly products anytime.
All products provided at Nourish and Bloom Markets are made with the highest quality ingredients that are minimally processed.
Christina: What is Nourish + Bloom Market’s SwagHer? What sets Nourish + Bloom apart from grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s?
Jamie & Jilea: Nourish + Bloom Market is a shopping store of the future, which runs without classic checkouts and self-service checkouts. Simply use the Nourish + Bloom Market app, shop as usual, and leave the store – no checkout lines, no waiting!
Nourish + Bloom Market is the first cashier-less grocery store with robotic delivery in the United States and the first African American-owned autonomous grocery store in the world.
Nourish + Bloom Market is re-envisioning the traditional corner store by focusing on the personal connections of the neighborhood retailer while infusing sustainability and autonomous checkout technology. Our food and personal care items are curated with the highest standards in mind. The highest priority is given to local brands to reduce our carbon footprint.
Christina: What made you all decide to begin Nourish + Bloom Market?Â
Jamie & Jilea: Jamie and I started in the food industry because we couldn’t find healthy meal options for our oldest son. He was diagnosed with Autism at two years old, and we were determined to find a solution. When we did our research, it said a healthy diet was the best modifiable behavior for him. So, that’s when we co-founded Greenie Tots, making healthy frozen plant-based meals for kids based on traditional kids favorites. Then we ventured into the tech space and built two scheduling apps that supported the pharmaceutical and cannabis industries.
After combining our backgrounds and experience in the food and tech industry, we wanted to make sure that not just our son could benefit from healthy options. But all communities should have access to healthy and nutritious food in the most convenient way possible. And that’s when Nourish + Bloom Market was created, being the first black-owned cashier-less and checkout-free grocery store globally and the first checkout-free grocery store in the southeastern United States.Â
Christina: I know they have other autonomous grocery stores worldwide, but this is the first black-owned one in the United States. How do you all feel to be the first in the U.S to have both cashierless checkout and robotic delivery and being the first African-American-owned one in the world?
Jamie & Jilea: It’s an exciting and amazing moment in history for us to deploy this first store in Georgia. We love technology, and we love food, so this was truly destiny for us. It has been a labor of love that brought Jamie and myself full circle from our previous entrepreneurial ventures. Being in this position to provide healthy options for communities and incorporating technology is a dream come true.
We want to be an inspiration for young black and brown entrepreneurs and give them the confidence that they can accomplish anything they want in this world. Keep Dreaming Big!
Christina: Nourish + Bloom also has robotic delivery. Why was that important for you all to incorporate in the store?
Jamie & Jilea: The main point of technology is to make mundane activities easier and safer for everyone. After the pandemic, the whole world has changed, and businesses have to adapt. Also, we are building this great company, and we don’t want the last mile when it comes to delivery to be the misstep of our operation. We’ve all encountered delivery drivers with bad attitudes and missing items from your order. Well, our robots properly dubbed “Nourish” and “Bloom” will be able to deliver your items with digital hearts in their eyes. And plus… it’s just pretty amazing watching these robots in action.
Christina: Can you explain to our readers the importance of having locally grown and harvested goods?
Jamie & Jilea: By supporting locally grown and harvested products, we are reducing our carbon footprint, which helps small businesses grow. We started as a locally owned brand with Greenie Tots, and we understand the hardships of getting placement into grocery stores. That’s why it’s our give back to small businesses to give them an opportunity to have their items placed into our Nourish + Bloom Market stores.
Christina: What are some tips you would give someone who is struggling to maintain a healthy diet?
Jamie & Jilea: Start reading nutrition labels. If you can not identify the ingredients on the label, it’s probably not a great choice to consume. 80% of our food supply in the United States is genetically modified and while it is hard to avoid, trying your best to eat more real food and using environmentally friendly products that don’t use harsh chemicals is the best way to go.
Christina: Where is this Nourish + Bloom located? How can our readers support the market?
Jamie & Jilea: Nourish + Bloom Market is located in Fayetteville, GA, just 30 minutes outside of downtown Atlanta in the Trilith community across from the second-largest movie studio in the nation. Readers can support us by visiting us at our store, shopping online, and following us on Instagram and Facebook (@Nourishandbloommarket).
Christina: Is there anything else you all would like to share?
Jamie & Jilea: Opening this grocery store is bigger than Jamie and myself. We’ve created an exciting and innovative business that will give us the opportunity to help so many underprivileged communities across the United States, and we are honored and willing to take on that challenge.
