STORE OF THE MONTH
Bashas' Diné Market
Traditional Navajo fry bread is made by hand from dough cooked in cast-iron pans; it's one of the native favorites created daily at the store, along with mutton stew.
nage help shoppers easily identify better-for-you foods — about 300 in all — many located in prime locations at the center and front of the store. “We’ve seen a significant rise in sales of products with those tags,” notes Ashley Shick, Bashas’ director of communications and public affairs. Two surprise hits among new products: aloe beverages and coconut water. Shoppers “jumped in and responded to it very well, from the grand opening,” says Karen Adams, director of operations. The store additionally features a new energy bar section, an organic snack area, and a bigger variety of teas and healthy drinks. The Window Rock store is also now home to the first Starbucks Coffee shop on the Navajo Nation, led by Starbucks Manager Sasha Gilmore, who’s fluent in Navajo. On Starbucks’ opening day, the line for coffee stretched out the door, starting at 5 a.m. The coffee shop features a reading nook stocked with books that patrons can borrow. The store’s deli department has new steam tables loaded with fresh home-
Lines were out the door on opening day for the Window Rock Starbucks, the first-ever location on the Navajo Nation.
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style meal options, open deli cases, more ovens and, here as well, an increased selection of healthy food offerings. Along with sandwiches made fresh daily, wall cases hold a variety of new items, from cold cuts and cheeses to dips and spreads. Hot options include rotisserie chickens, turkey, meatloaf, pork and mutton, regular items like pizza and fried chicken, and local favorites like Navajo tacos made with fry bread. The in-store service bakery sports new cases, perfect for displaying the talents of Malcolm Willie, the store’s lead cake decorator, who turned out some special Navajo-themed creations on the day of PG’s visit. In addition to scratch doughnuts and