Two Bits Market Softly Opens Its Doors on 5th Street
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The shelves aren't entirely stocked yet, but the doors to Two Bits Market are open this week as the organic-focused market starts to serve up produce, wines and cheese to the Historic Core.
A January 1 soft-opened was announced Friday on the market's Facebook page, and owner Brandi Lozano has been pleased with the results of the first few days.
Corbett Miller, one of two business partners in the project, is in charge of sourcing the market's offerings. He and Lozano both noted that mastering the daily crisping process needed to keep the arugula fresh has been their biggest challenge of the first few days.
Sandwich service is planned to start with a grand opening on February 1, and the shop is using the first few weeks to solicit ideas from shoppers on what should be on the market shelves.
Hours are still fluid, but this week the market will be open 10am to 10pm. Two Bits is located at 210 W. 5th, on the 5th Street side of the Alexandria Hotel.
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 02:11PM – #1
This is very very exciting! Glad to see they finally opened, best of luck!
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 02:37PM – #2
Hooray!
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 02:54PM – #3
Yay! Cheese Downtown! Whoopie!
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 02:58PM – #4
Congratulations to the proprietors. I will be coming in this evening. It's great to have you in the neighborhood, and I hope your store is a big success!
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 03:54PM – #5
Congratulations! I stopped by today and talked to the owners for a minute (I'm the guy that requested unsalted butter). I think it's great that you're finally open and withstood the requirements the city thrust on you.
My other request would be for more leafy vegetables and clean meats/chicken. Best of luck to you.
UrbanLA on January 03, 2011, at 07:42PM – #6
Can't wait for sandwiches! Produce is fresh and organic. Keep up the good work!
Would be nice to see more frozen organic ice cream/pizzas, Kombucha, environmentally responsible cleaning items. Not sure if you offer it, but fresh Ice Tea's/Lemonade would be delicious!
With such a friendly staff, I can imagine this place will attract like-minded downtown denizens...maybe consider putting up a neighborhood bulletin board with events, news, etc.
Welcome Two Bits! You're a much needed addition to Downtown!
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 09:05PM – #7
AWESOME CONGRATS GUYS!!
Eric Metz (@lastreetcar) on January 03, 2011, at 09:22PM – #8
Very excited! Can't wait to stop by.
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 09:59PM – #9
Yay! We live upstairs and will be frequent (daily?) customers. It will be AMAZING to come home from work, walk downstairs and pick out some veggies for dinner, so I agree with earlier post - more leafy greens. Welcome to the neighborhood.
Guest on January 03, 2011, at 11:37PM – #10
Congratulations on passing inspection! You were patient. We were patient. Now time to make some money!
Oh, and please stock wine from local (you know, more or less local...Temecula, Santa Ynes, Santa Maria etc) vineyards
Guest on January 04, 2011, at 01:36AM – #11
Eco/health friendly cleaning items and toiletries :)
Mix of colorful veggies :)
Guest on January 04, 2011, at 07:40AM – #12
quality fruit, endive, gormet stuff like olive tapenade, flatbread crackers.
Susana Benavidez on January 04, 2011, at 09:02AM – #13
Artisan Chocolate!! :) Teuscher quality maybe? :)
Simon Hartigan on January 04, 2011, at 10:04AM – #14
I stopped by this place Saturday night, I hope the prices won't be too high! It looks amazing though. Welcome to the neighborhood.
Jamie DeFrisco on January 04, 2011, at 10:48AM – #15
Saw them putting things together last Friday and was really excited to see this coming to life. I'll have to swing by to pick up some food sometime this week. =)
Anthony Costantino on January 04, 2011, at 03:43PM – #16
Simon,
Prices are excellent and in some cases lower than a supermarket, especially for organic produce, something like 1.25/lb for apples?
Sports Tsar (@sportstsar) on January 04, 2011, at 04:22PM – #17
How bout we stock those empty shelves with a nice craft beer selection??
DawnC on January 05, 2011, at 09:18AM – #18
I'd love to see some recipe suggestions for things that are seasonally available in the store. This would encourage impulse buys and one stop shopping!
Justin Sullivan on January 06, 2011, at 12:00PM – #19
Stopped by twice in the last week. Corbett was engaging and pleasant, as well as eager to hear anything that I would like to see carried in the store. The neighborhood needs this so badly, and I can't wait to see them succeed!
Mblu on January 25, 2011, at 05:22PM – #20
I was so very excited for this place to open, I would literally walk by almost daily to see if it was open yet. Now that it is I am bummed out at their prices. They carry great products and everything they have is needed down here but that said, I have been a foodie for many years, before there was a Whole Foods chain. I know what these things go for and it's unethical to overcharge, they are expensive enough. When one is committed to living this lifestyle, it can get very expensive at the end of the day. It is typically the non-foodies who try to cash in on us, I was hoping Two-Bits would be a friend to the Downtown foodie culture but not so much.
I have lived down here for years and have never shopped at the Downtown Ralphs for this reason. Instead I go to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Erewhon and Farmers Markets and stock up. When I run out of milk before going back I know I'll have to over-pay for more. I was hoping this wouldn't be the case once Two Bits opened but it is and actually they charge more. They charge $6 for a dozen of organic eggs, $.95 for a clove of garlic, $.50 per lemon, $2 for a cup of coffee, $5.50 for a half gallon of milk an so on. They don't have Kombucha yet but I'm guessing it will be $5.
So even though I am located only steps away at the Rowen, I will continue to get into my car and go to my usual haunts. And for Kombucha, I am very appreciative of the Old Bank Market as he doesn't mark it up much at all. That goes for the rest of their stuff too. Perhaps she could take a page out of their book. They are truly a neighborhood friendly market.
I am still hopeful for this place, I am hoping she gets it and is kinder. This is a local community and she could do very well if she came down on her prices. If not, I honestly don't know how long she'll make it once the hype wears down.
I will continue to check in though in hopes of seeing that one little, yet very significant one, so I can enjoy it the way I had so very hoped for.
Johnson on January 30, 2011, at 12:09PM – #21
Thanks for info Mblu. Unfortunately, most of the information is incorrect. After reading the post, I took a walk down to Old Bank Market to check out prices myself. First, they don't have prices on anything , so it was hard to tell how much stuff is. But I checked on a few things with the staff. Lemon--75 cents each (only had two on the shelf and they are not organic, where as you said Two Bits charges 50 cents for an organic lemon). Half gallon of milk--$5.49 (you said Two Bits is $5.50). Sleeve of garlic from China--99 cents. (Two Bits charges 95 cents for whole HEAD not a clove of organic garlic from California). I stopped asking about prices after this. I didn't check on the egg prices at Old Bank, but they offer Alta Dena eggs, where as Two Bits carries Chino Valley organic eggs at $5.50 per dozen, not $6. About places like Whole Foods, (whose prices in general are slightly higher than Two Bits--especially in the meat department) I'm pretty sure they pay much lower wholesale prices than a place like Two Bits due to bulk order size. That's just Business 101. So in conclusion, Two Bits is an independently, neighborhood owned small business. But, if you still feel the need to get in your car and drive to Pasadena for Whole Foods prices, Two Bits will be still here when the traffic is just too thick.
Mblu on February 04, 2011, at 04:53PM – #22
It is not incorrect, I am clear about my statements. You're going to tell me that Whole Foods and Trader Joes charge the same as you do? Simply not true. I shop there every week and I don't spend $6 on eggs or $5.50 on milk or $50 on a lemon. It's just simply not true.
As for the Old Bank Market, I should have been more specific. I brought that up for the Kombucha (Synergy) drinks comment I made because LA Cafe and the 6th St. Market marks them up quite a bit, more than the Old Bank Market and I find that unnecessary.
I'm not sure what you price those as because you didn't have them when I was in there. A Downtown friend who drinks them too said she asked and you were planning on carrying them. I threw it out that you would most likely price them in the same way that LA Cafe or 6th St. does just given your other prices. I hope that is not the case. I buy them several times a week at Old Market and would be happy to share the business with you, I believe in supporting Downtown businesses that I care about.
As for the things you mentioned, I have actually never bought any of those items at the Old Bank Market because you're right, they're not organic. That was the whole purpose of my posting, that I only buy organic. Most of what you addressed in relation to the Old Bank Market wasn't what I was referring to in my comment. If they had what I needed I wouldn't have been so excited for your doors to open and I wouldn't keep shelping to Whole Foods and Trader Joes.
Your posting was quite condescending. If your prices are clearly because you have to pay more buying less because you order smaller quantities, yes I get "business 101", then I understand that. I happen to have my own business and I know wholesale prices. Although I don't deal in food, I have an idea of what you're paying and you most definitely are marking things up quite a bit.
If this is what you need to do, then so be it. When I'm in a pinch, I'm still happy you are there because I have a choice now. I expected I would pay more just not this much. Good luck to you all the same.