HC Grocery owner Anna Chen showing her yu choy mieu produce, a delicate leafy green essential to Chinese cuisine. Anna Chen’s connection to food began very early. Some of her first food memories are of working at her family’s restaurant in Taishan, China. After moving to Seattle with her family in 1998, Anna noticed that many of her elderly and disabled Beacon Hill neighbors had to get help from their children and grandchildren to grocery shop. She saw a need for a neighborhood need-based grocery store.
In 2023, Anna opened HC Grocery with her community top of mind. She created a welcoming, walkable store specializing in fresh produce, Chinese pantry staples, frozen meat and seafood, herbs, seasonings, and hard-to-find traditional medicinal ingredients.
Our team at the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) is excited to share Anna’s story in our new series spotlighting local Fresh Bucks retailers who are providing affordable and diverse produce while supporting their neighbors and our local food system.
Fresh Bucks is Seattle’s healthy food access program providing enrolled households $60 per month to buy fruits and vegetables at 45+ retail locations, including farmers markets, supermarkets, and independent grocers, like HC Grocery.
Anna stays connected to her customers through a group chat where frequent shoppers can request specific items. After her community started asking Anna if her store could accept Fresh Bucks, HC Grocery joined the Fresh Bucks program in fall 2024.
“I listen to my customers. Whatever they need, I can get at the wholesale market. Sometimes they can’t find things elsewhere,” Anna said. “I shop at the wholesale market every morning. I could get delivery, but I want to check everything myself first.”
Fresh Bucks shoppers can get unique and culturally familiar produce, including bok choy, taro root, and daikon radish, as well as dried products like red beans, mung beans, and mushrooms.
The store also accepts Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and medically tailored grocery benefits from United Healthcare and Humana, ensuring customers of all income levels can shop close to home.
Small, independent neighborhood grocers make healthy produce accessible for community members with their diverse produce options and transit-friendly locations. Convenient, affordable produce is foundational to improving the health of our neighborhoods, particularly for low-income and communities of color.
Fresh Bucks partners with independent grocers and organizations embedded in communities to help reduce racial and health disparities. Recent research from the University of Washington showed that enrolled households experience a 31% higher rate of food security and consume at least three daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Fresh Bucks majorly expanded at the start of this year, welcoming more than 4,500 households off the waitlist, increasing monthly benefits from $40 to $60, and automatically extending benefits for enrolled and active households. Now at 17,000 households, there is still room for new enrollment – interested households can learn more and apply at SeattleFreshBucks.org
As the Lunar New Year approaches on February 17, Anna and HC Grocery will celebrate with festivities and gifts for customers February 18-19. Stop by 7106 Beacon Ave S to support a local grocer and see why HC Grocery is loved by the Beacon Hill community.