NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK | 3
"This is what a city is, bits and pieces that supplement each other and support each other." - Jane Jacobs J&P is much more than a neighbourhood their nest on Victoria Park. And at their grocer. It’s part of a movement that began business, too – a 5,200 square-foot space in downtown Kitchener over a decade ago, that used to house part of the old Goudies just after I’d uprooted from Kitchener department store. J&P Grocery. to Guelph. Part of a movement that has seen the downtown core transform from "We’re like the anti-grocery-store grocer," a place we tended to ignore as kids, remarks co-owner Sarah Pepper as we adolescents and young adults to a global sip Americanos together. At the coolest destination for talent. And innovation. little café perched high up on a centuryAnd entrepreneurship. A place in old mezzanine. Inside the grocer. Every which visionary thinking is not only grocery store should have one of these, I encouraged but also supported think to myself, relaxing into my chair. by like-minded folks who are "Pretty awesome, eh?" It seems that Sarah collaboratively re-animating the reads my mind. She continues: "We created core – seemingly one old factory J&P for moments like these – and for folks at a time. A place John Kent like us." She nods towards her husband and Sarah Pepper – the ‘J’ and and business partner, Johnny, who’s seated ‘P’ of ‘J&P’ – call home. At with us. "For folks who chose to live and