This Natural Grocers has the widest variety of natural. healthy and organic foods available in Coos Bay. Rather than making a lengthy trip inland, this is perfect. The staff almost without fail are exceptionally friendly & helpful. Knowledgeable. If they don't know something...they tell you, and do their best to help you find it. I wish I could rate the employees separately from the issues I've experienced with the food product's I have purchased. That would have been a five star rating.
In the last month's time, however. I've had repeated issues with food quality. I've had two bags of brazil nuts that were moldy, and returned the second, tossed the first. I've tossed a bag of dried fruit, also containing molding pieces.
This past week I purchased, as I have numerous times, a bag of Arrowhead Mills puffed rice cereal. After pouring the last bowl, then eating the cereal down to the last few bites...there was a mouse dropping almost the size of a dried pea. My instant reaction was nausea, knowing it had tainted the milk of what portion I had consumed. I put it on a paper towel and reddish brownish fluid was coming off of it. I magnified it...hoping it was something else. There were tiny hairs protruding from it. It had bits of husk in it. It wasn't burnt cereal. I still feel sick. I went into the store with the rounded shaped feces in a plastic bag to show to the main manager, along with the empty bag with the bar code and lot number. I showed the magnified photo with hairs protruding to a clerk. I don't want a refund.. I was trying to prevent other customers from experiencing what I've experienced. The manager wasn't in, and wasn't due till that night. I felt too nauseous to go through yet another explanation, and they wanted me to leave my information for a call back. They offered a department manager, but I did wish to speak with the store manager. I left, as I truly had just eaten the cereal and felt too sick to stand there. They can't control the quality of Arrowhead Mills cleanliness practices, but they can control what foods they carry and promote. Even though a number of products have resulted in a positive experience...the food is too expensive to have to continually drive back to return moldy products or throw them away. The mouse/rat feces in the cereal experience still makes me nauseous. I'm done with the store and trying to disassociate myself from the memory of what I consumed. I won't go back. read more
