edible notables
GOING TO MARKET
Reno’s new downtown grocery shop offers a plethora of local goods.
WRITTEN BY KELSEY FITZGERALD
PHOTOS BY TY O’NEIL
Denise and Dale Barcomb, owners of The Urban Market
Wn a recent Saturday morning, Denise Barcomb, co-owner of The Urban Market, Downtown Reno’s newest grocery store, sat at the market’s counter with a cup of coffee, waiting for a delivery from a local vendor — one of many with which she does business.
“This is a boutique market offering conventional and specialty items, with a focus on local,” she explains. “We’re really trying to partner up with as many local vendors as we possibly can.”
The Urban Market, which Denise operates with her husband, Dale Barcomb, opened in September of last year. The store is located on the ground floor of the newly renovated Third Street Flats apartments, in the former Kings Inn building.
The store carries a wide variety of products — everything from fresh pastries to fresh produce, frozen foods, dry goods, and alcoholic beverages from a walk-in “beer cave.” It sells soup from Gino the Soupman, sandwiches from Rounds Bakery, and bagels from Truckee Bagel Co., all in Reno, along with fancy cheeses, not-so-fancy cheeses, bags of chips, convenience-store-style slushies, and much more.
“Really, what we’re doing is bringing in products that the local clientele are asking for,” Denise says. “In the store right now, we probably have more than 3,000 different products.”
The Urban Market is located on the ground floor of the Third Street Flats building in Downtown Reno
A customer makes a purchase at The Urban Market
Beyond the basics
The Barcombs own a 7-Eleven in Carson City and formerly owned another on Geiger Grade — retail experience that Denise says has been immensely helpful in getting UM up and running. Their dream for the market, however, extends beyond that of a traditional convenience store.
They have partnered with Old World Coffee Lab in Reno for an in-house coffee bar and have an on-premise license to serve wine and beer. In one corner of the store, a seating area with tables and a full bookshelf invites customers to stay a while, and large bins collect donations for a local charity of the month. Their vision? That UM will become a neighborhood hangout, a community hub.
“When I was a kid, people didn’t go to big grocery stores because they didn’t exist,” Denise says. “But every neighborhood had, within a mile of home, their own grocery. And it was a very personable and intimate experience … We have an opportunity here to create this very personalized experience. I think a lot of people miss that. That’s what I really want to accomplish. And have a lot of fun. Right? Why shouldn’t it be fun?”
Freelance writer Kelsey Fitzgerald enjoys picnicking in Reno’s many parks with her family when the weather is nice, and she was excited to learn of a new place to pick up a quick snack and a drink when on the go.
The Urban Market
Third Street Flats
303 W. Third St., Ste. 120, Reno • 775-502-3555 • Umreno.com
