by Jaryn Rowland | Jun 16, 2020 | Events, Outreach
Get Out and Vote 2020
At the Turnip Truck, we believe in civic participation and the democratic process of voting. That’s why we are committed to encouraging folks to VOTE in 2020.
Please share with your friends and family – let’s make our voices heard in our state and in the nation. Things are different this year with COVID-19, so it’s important to plan now. By voting, we invest in democracy – for ourselves and for future generations.
Absentee Ballot Request DEADLINE is October 27, 2020
For information on voting early, go here.
Important Dates:
Tuesday, July 7, 2020 Voter Registration DEADLINE (for Primary)Thursday, July 30, 2020 Absentee Ballot Request DEADLINE (for Primary)Thursday, August 6, 2020 State & Federal Primary Election and State & County General ElectionMonday, October 5. 2020 Voter Registration DEADLINE (for General Election)Tuesday, October 27, 2020 Absentee Ballot Request DEADLINE (for General Election)Tuesday, November 3, 2020 State & Federal General Election
Tennessee Election Resources:
- Tennessee State Election Official: Tre Hargett
- Voter Registration:
- Absentee Ballot*:
- Federal and State Candidate List:
* Concerned about voting in-person due to COVID-19? Request an Absentee Ballot by mail.
When We All Vote is a great another great resource: www.WhenWeAllVote.org
Tennessee Elections on Instagram: @tnelections
by Jaryn Rowland | Jun 16, 2020 | Outreach
Shopping Online with Mercato – How Does It Work?
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Quick Tips:
- *We currently offer in-store and curbside pickup options
- *In-store & curbside pickup times are EAST Mon to Sat: 9:45 am – 8:15 pm and Sun: 9:45 am to 7:15 pm; WEST Mon to Sat: 9:30 am – 8:15 pm and Sun: 9:30 am to 7:15 pm
- *Orders can be placed 24 hours in advance
- *The minimum order is $35
- *Delivery Fee is assessed by the distance from the store you order from
- *On the day your order is scheduled, our shoppers will do all that they can to ensure that you get everything you ordered as requested
- *In-store: Pick up at our designated sites (East – side door; West – café door on Charlotte Ave); Curbside: Park in the lot and call the number for the store (East: 615-650-3600 ext. 107; West: 615-953-7075 ext. 104)
Helpful Tips to Get You Started Shopping
There are multiple ways to shop online using the Mercato platform:
- *When you sign-in click “Start Shopping” on the upper right side.
- *Both stores share some delivery zip codes. Both stores may pop up – Turnip Truck – EAST Woodland St. and Turnip Truck WEST – Charlotte Pike. On the left side of the screen, be sure to click the store you want to shop from
- *Use the search bar at the top and search by whatever product, brand, or type of item you’re looking for
- *Or select an “aisle” from the drop-down menu and browse by department
- *Or merely start scrolling through the items listed on the page
- *When checking out, be sure to check the box “Replace Out of Stock” if you want a substitution for an out of stock item. Then check either buttons: “Contact Me To Verify” or “Don’t Contact Me”
E-Commerce FAQs
What if I can’t find an item on the site?
- Keep in mind that most of our prepared foods aren’t available online and we are striving to get all of the items, including local, uploaded to our system. If you don’t see an item you see in the store, let us know.
- How do substitutions work?
- By default, we do not substitute items. From the Shopping Cart page, you may select “Replace Out of Stock” for any items that we may be out of and you wish for a substitution. Selecting this lets our shoppers know that you’ll accept a similar item if the original item you selected is unavailable when we prepare your order for you. You will be charged the price of the substitute item. We carry a lot of unique products and thus not all items will have a suitable substitute.
- Then click either “Contact Me To Verify” to which we will contact you to ensure the substitution is what you want; or “Don’t Contact Me.”
- Does the Turnip Truck deliver with Mercato?
- Does the Turnip Truck do contact-less curbside pick-up?
- Yes, we do! Park in the lot and call the number for the store
- East – 615-650-3600 ext. 107
- West – 615-953-7075 ext. 104
- Is there an order minimum I need to meet?
- There is a $35 order minimum for all online grocery orders.
- How far in advance can I place an order for pick-up?
- Orders can be placed up to 24 hours in advance.
- What about beer, wine, & spirits?
- Unfortunately, we cannot yet sell wine or beer through the Mercato platform.
- How do I know if an item is on sale?
- Sale items will have the original price struck through and show the sale price below the original price. They also will show the savings amount in the bottom corner of the product image.
- Can I change the date/time of pickup for an order I have already placed?
- Please give us a call at the store you ordered from if you need to change the date or time of pickup for an order you’ve already placed. If it’s for a later date or time than your original order this will be no problem. If it’s for an earlier date or time, we will do our best to accommodate this change, but we may not be able to process the order earlier than your originally selected date & time.
- Can I review my order once it’s been placed?
- You will receive a confirmation email when you place your order that includes a list of everything you ordered. Additionally, you can log in to your account and select “Re-order.” Here you can see previous orders with the option of duplicating a past order with a click.
- Can I save an order I haven’t finished yet?
- You sure can. Once you have registered for an account and logged in, any item you put in your cart will remain there until you checkout or remove the item.
- How can I cancel an order I’ve placed?
- Please call us if you need to cancel your order.
- I received the wrong product. What should I do?
- Our shoppers will do their best to make sure you get exactly what you ask for, but we’re human and mistakes can happen. Call us at the store you ordered from East 615-650-3600 ext.107; West 615-953-7075 ext. 104 or email us at [email protected]. We’ll credit you back for the wrong product and have the right product ready for you at the store.
Billing, Payment & Pricing
- What if I would like to change my account information?
- When you sign-in to your account, select the “My Account” tab. From here you can update your contact information. You can also edit/delete your payment information.
- Can I pay for my order with a gift card?
- Our current online ordering system does not allow for payment with a gift card.
- How is the tax for my order determined?
- Online orders are taxed exactly the same as if you were shopping in the store.
- Is my credit card information safe?
- Your credit card information is never stored with the Turnip Truck and is never shared with any other parties.
Pricing
- You will always receive the price of an item based on your pickup date.
- If an item is not on sale when you order but is on sale on your pickup date, you pay the sale price.
- If an item is on sale when you order but not on sale on your pickup date, you pay the regular price.
- Weighted Items
- For weighed items, the amount you pay will be finalized when we process your order on your pickup date. This may vary slightly from the weight you selected originally.
- Buy One, Get One Free
- If an item is marked ‘Buy One, Get One Free’, you must add two of the items to your cart to receive the second item free.
Feedback We strive to offer you the best online shopping experience. If you have any compliments, criticisms, or suggestions please send them to us at [email protected].
by Jaryn Rowland | Jun 10, 2020 | Press
Slideshow: Take a tour of Turnip Truck’s new West Nashville store
By Marq Burnett
Mar 30, 2020, 7:48am EDT
Like a lot of Nashvillians and Middle Tennessee residents, John Dyke is dealing with disasters on two fronts.
Dyke, founder and owner of Turnip Truck, opened the grocery’s third location, in West Nashville, on Friday, but said it’s been a challenging few weeks due to both the tornado and COVID-19.
Dyke recalls spending “three days in rubble” after a deadly tornado struck Nashville. Dyke’s East Nashville store sustained roof damage, but a warehouse near John C. Tune Airport storing his equipment was flattened.
Dyke was able to salvage a few countertops, but said he was fortunate enough to find closed grocery stores in North Carolina where he could buy equipment during an auction.
Now, he’s managing a grocery store in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic.
“I had to remind myself to look around because we still have a neighborhood that’s torn to pieces right in front of our eyes,” Dyke said. “It’s almost like we don’t notice it because we’ve moved from one thing to the next.”
Dyke opened the doors to Turnip Truck’s third location on Friday.
“We wanted to have an essential place for our neighbors on the west side to be able to come shop,” Dyke said. “There are so many stores that aren’t able to meet the demand, so I felt it was critical for us to open up.”
Dyke said sales have almost doubled in recent weeks, calling it “extreme growth” inside the stores.
Take a tour of the store in the slideshow with this story.
“Everything I’ve seen has been two thumbs up, twice,” Dyke said of the response he’s seen to the store opening. “Everybody’s excited about having this in their backyard so they’re not having to drive out of their neighborhood to get the critical supplies that we all kind of need at this moment.”
The 15,000-square-foot store offers produce, a butcher, bulk foods, beer and wine, supplements, health and beauty items, and a filtered-water station. The produce is sourced within 200 miles. In a typical season, 90% or more of Turnip Truck’s produce is organic, but a news release notes that this may be affected by “the current situation.”
The store also plans to have a hot bar, salad bar, 100% organic juice bar and deli. However, due to the coronavirus, the salad and hot bars are currently closed at all Turnip Truck locations. In an effort to meet increased demand for groceries throughout the city, Dyke said he’s hired 30 new employees to ensure shelves remain stocked at stores.
Rooftop solar panels will provide 15% of the store’s energy. The store will have recycling stations; it also won’t use plastic grocery bags, a company policy since 2014.
Dyke, an East Tennessee native, opened the original Turnip Truck Natural Market on Woodland Street in East Nashville in 2001. He later opened a location in the Gulch.
by Jaryn Rowland | Jun 9, 2020 | Press
Turnip Truck donates van full of local produce to Nashville Food Project
Nashville Tennessean
Carmel Kookogey, June 8, 2020
The Turnip Truck grocery store in West Nashville donated a van full of fresh produce to The Nashville Food Project on June 1. (Photo: Z Nelson)
To celebrate opening its third location in West Nashville, the Turnip Truck donated a van of fresh local produce to The Nashville Food Project on June 1.
Founded in 2001 by John Dyke, the Turnip Truck is a Nashville grocery store which sources its products from local producers. Turnip Truck COO Kim Totzke said due to the pandemic, they decided to donate to The Nashville Food Project in lieu of a grand opening for their new Charlotte Avenue location, which opened in March.
“The spirit of the Turnip Truck has always been about the community and with such crazy times and there being a real problem with folks having access to quality, healthy food, we felt it was really important to donate at this time,” Totzke said.
The Turnip Truck grocery store in West Nashville donated a van full of fresh produce to The Nashville Food Project on June 1. (Photo: Z Nelson)
Totzke said the van was “packed full of food” — entirely fresh produce — when they sent it to The Nashville Food Project from the Turnip Truck’s nearby Charlotte Avenue location.
“When there’s a food donation, typically it’s a lot of dry products,” Totzke said. “But the ability to get fresh produce is real important, especially with the pandemic. Fresh produce is a big part of making sure you’re healthy and taking care of yourself.”
The Nashville Food Project, is a non-profit that grows, cooks and donates food to the impoverished community in Nashville. The nonprofit has provided more than 35,000 meals in the wake of COVID-19 and the March tornadoes.
Read the article on The Tennessean here.
by Jaryn Rowland | Jun 8, 2020 | Press
Turnip Truck Teams Up With Nashville Food Project to Help Feed Those in Need
Local grocery store donates fresh seasonal produce for community meals
The Nashville Scene
CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
JUN 8, 2020 7 AM
It would be easy for The Turnip Truck to hunker down in the midst of these difficult times. The Nashville chainlet of grocery stores that sources locally produced products, many of them organic, has had quite a year so far. First, their East Nashville location was right in the path of the storm of the early-March tornado, and then they opened their third and latest location in West Nashville in the middle of the pandemic-mandated lockdown. Under these regulations, they were not able to operate their popular prepared food bars, a favorite amenity of their legions of fans.
But instead of licking their wounds, the management of The Turnip Truck has maintained their dedication to helping out the community, including food donations that directly benefit Nashville’s most at-risk residents. Earlier this month the grocery donated enough seasonal produce to The Nashville Food Project to prepare more than 35,000 meals that will be distributed to those in need.
“As Nashville’s local grocer, we are honored to support The Nashville Food Project’s work to nourish our community with wholesome food,” Turnip Truck’s chief operating officer Kim Totzke says. “This has been a challenging year for Nashville, with COVID-19 and the tornadoes. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we support our neighbors’ health and well-being.”
The Nashville Food Project will use the donations as part of its Community Meals Program, in addition to the novel urban agriculture program that supports neighborhood gardens to allow families to grow food for themselves and to sell. “As an organization, we’re committed to featuring fresh produce in our meals for kids, seniors and all the communities we serve as often as possible, so of course we’ve been longtime fans of the Turnip Truck’s work to keep our neighbors nourished with healthful choices,” says Tallu Schuyler Quinn, CEO of The Nashville Food Project. “We’re thrilled to accept this generous gift and steward it to its highest, best use in meals for the community.”
As Nashville’s truly local grocer, The Turnip Truck never fails to rise to the occasion when the community has needs, even in the face of their own business difficulties. They deserve our attention and support!
Read the article in Nashville Scene here.
Photo credit: Z Nelson
