About
The Fillery -- Goods for your pantry. Good for the planet.
$17,075
388
People are talking about us!
Package-free Brooklyn : It's around the corner!
What is The Fillery?
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Fillery
Fil•er•y /fil(ə-)rē/ noun A place where one fills empty containers with goods, such as grains, nuts, seeds, coffee, tea, spices, oils and the like.
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Put simply, we are a specialty grocery offering hundreds of pantry basics and specialty items, primarily in bulk form. But OUR IDEA AND OUR GOALS ARE FAR FROM SIMPLE. We aim to improve the health of our community in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn and the environment by offering alternatives to the plastic entombed, chemical laden options which are ubiquitous in both pantries and landfills worldwide.
Our Problem
The problem we are addressing is multifaceted. And so is The Fillery's solution.
Plastic Polution
According to a recent study, only about 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling. The rest ends up in a landfill, or worse, the ocean. Recycled or not, the reality is that every piece of plastic ever made STILL exists.
Food Waste
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 40% of food in the U.S goes to waste. The Environmental Protection Agency says over 97% of that food waste ends up in the landfill.
Community Health
Obesity is on the rise throughout America. Currently, more than one third of adults in the United States fall into this category. In parts of Brooklyn, more than 1 in 4 children in Head Start and public elementary schools is obese. Among the reasons cited for these trends are lack of access to healthy food options and limited nutrition education.
Our Solution
package-free shopping
By offering food in bins and dispensers, we eliminate the problem of unnecessary packaging. This also allows customers to purchase only what they need - addressing the problem of food waste. It enables people to try new things without committing to a large container of something that might go unused. By buying only what you need from bulk bins, you can help reduce the insane amount of food we waste each year.
goods for your pantry, good for the planet
Our purpose is to provide products that are good for our bodies, and for the environment. Much of what we sell will be organic, and nothing will contain artificial ingredients. We will serve as a pick-up point for CSA (community supported agriculture) shares, providing access to fresh, seasonal produce from regional farms. We'll also carry accessories that enable customers to make their move toward a zero-waste lifestyle, such as food storage & spice containers, bottles, jars, reusable drawstring bags, coffee/tea accessories, tote bags, and environmentally friendly household products (plant based/natural cleaning tools etc). We'll have a reference library full of information on the products we carry in the store. Here, we'll also share waste reduction strategies, as well as our favorite zero waste recipes (see yummy photos below).
community health
We will host community seminars and cooking demonstrations to help locals learn healthy cooking and eating habits, health benefits of herbs and spices, how to make package-free beauty and household cleaning products, and more. You'll also find nutritional information, along with lots of other resources on our reference shelf.
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Why we need your help
It takes a lot of support to open a store like this. We need the community to be as excited about The Fillery as we are.
Specifically, we need funds to do the following:
- secure a lease for a storefront space in Brooklyn
- renovate and furnish the store with shelving, bins, dispensers, furniture etc.
- purchase opening inventory
REWARDS
This is just a handy chart to help you see all of the rewards in one place. See the Rewards tab for more details. Please note that shipping listed is an estimate. Final shipping charges will be shared before the reward is finalized.
A heartfelt thanks to Sadi Tekin for the happy-making illustration he created for our tote!
Timeline
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Who are we?
Sarah Metz :: founder of The Fillery, occupational therapist
Calin Sandvig :: marketing consultant
Stephanie Metz :: architect/all-purpose design and content consultant
Risks and challenges
As is true with most new brick and mortar stores, obtaining permits, completing construction, purchasing opening inventory and finding the right employees can contribute to a delayed opening. (Please don't let this happen to us!) New York City is notorious for such problems. Fear not, supporters! While New Yorkers do face a lot of hurdles that aren't always factors in other cities, we also have the advantage of a fantastic support network for entrepreneurs. The Fillery was a participant (and second place winner, in fact!) of the Brooklyn Public Library's PowerUp! Business Plan Competition and Brooklyn Business Outreach Center's small business mentoring program. With the guidance of these programs we have been able to anticipate (and hopefully prevent) many common roadblocks, and too, have the resources to deal with them as they come. (A founder with a very open and flexible summer schedule sure does help matters!)
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Funding period
- (31 days)