Story originally written by Kristen Saibini for Opportunity Nevada in April of 2018 (view original story). Details have been updated by Denise Barcomb to make current for Hungry in Reno.
Imagine you are strolling in downtown Reno feeling a little thirsty and craving a bite of something tasty. Maybe you have a hankering for a kombucha drink, a fresh sandwich and a mango? Or a delicious craft coffee made from Old World Coffee beans? Or local honey from Hidden Valley or Al Bees? How about a fresh meal from Mother of Macros or soup from Gino the Soup Man? Or local grass-fed, grass-finished beef from Bently Ranch? Or seafood from Sierra Gold Seafood? Or a plethora of other local provisions all in one place?
You’re in luck. THE Urban Market, located at 303 3rd Street, is a one-of-a-kind (and only) spot in downtown Reno that is a convenient stop for all things local and so much more. It’s a destination for fresh produce, locally sourced coffees and teas, packaged snacks, craft beer, wine and many more UMazing products. It has been serving the downtown Reno area since September 2017. In 2019, THE Urban Market acquired a prominent, local gourmet gift basket business and in early 2020 will add a full-service deli.
“People want to buy local, they want to support local, and they want to know where their food is coming from,” said Denise Barcomb, who owns THE Urban Market with her husband, Dale. “We have created a destination environment where people are welcomed like they are at Cheers when they walk through the door and customers can get everything they are looking for while feeling good about what they are buying because they are supporting local.”
Denise and Dale are former 7-Eleven Franchisees who operated convenience stores for nearly 20 years which is the foundation behind their creation of THE Urban Market. While Denise has always dreamed of starting and building a business from the ground up, she didn’t realize until recently that a conversation a few years ago would help spark a desire to accomplish her dream.
“Five ago I was at a meeting about downtown redevelopment and a successful, local developer said, ‘if you really want change to occur, you need to put your money where your mouth is, and be the change you want to see,’” Denise explained. “That resonated with me long before this idea even presented itself to us. Since we’ve launched this adventure, I think about that and how it has manifested itself into reality.”
THE Urban Market, tucked between bab café, an additional retail space, and located on the street level of the 3rd Street Flats Apartments, is an integral part of the revitalization in downtown Reno, offering a much-needed service to downtown residents, the downtown working population, and visitors alike.
“There is so much good coming to the downtown area and we are excited and proud to be at the forefront of that change,” Dale said.
As community minded as they come, THE Urban Market has an open call for community artists to display their artwork in the store as well as donating food they can no longer use or sell to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission plus providing a cost-free meeting location for anyone needing some space. In addition, in 2019, they launched the roundUMup campaign to raise funds to support a variety of local efforts including Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation’s Biggest Little Dog Park, the Reno Ice project, and next up is Hope’s Tiny Homes Project.
As Dale explains, without the Reno community, THE Urban Market would not exist.
“We love people and we love our community,” Dale said. “To be able to make a go of this we need community support. By giving back to the community, we will ultimately receive, and that is the foundation of our operation. We will continue to tailor THE Urban Market around our neighborhood to help it grow and to help our community flourish.”
THE Urban Market
303 3rd Street, Suite 120
Reno, Nevada 89503
775.502.3555
[email protected]
umreno.com | Facebook | Instagram
#urbanmarketreno
Monday- Thursday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
