Save our only market! As your neighbors we are heartbroken to learn it is scheduled to close.

We understand talks have broken down over rent increases and that feels disconnected from the reality of what this market means to us. We are asking you (the landlord) to step back, listen, and find a way forward because losing New Leaf would leave a hole in this community that no chain store could ever replace.

We shop at New Leaf because it feels like home. The aisles are spacious, so there's no congestion. There isn't a frantic rush brought on by the area. I don't feel the urge to rush back to my car lest it be broken into or hit, there  no chaos. In this city? That's more than rare. The air is clean (literally). Unlike the Sprouts down the road, where you battle traffic just to park and inhale exhaust fumes from the highway or plumes of smoke from a bbq place. New Leaf sits in a pocket of Evergreen and is one of the most clean stores I have been to, something I need in a grocery store. There is no honking, no congestion, no tension. It is the kind of tranquil, upscale neighborhood experience that reminds us of the San Jose we grew up loving: the San Jose of old, where you could run an errand without feeling like you were surviving an obstacle course.

 

As a customer I've noticed the employees are not frazzled or overwhelmed. They are relaxed, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. I have made calls to ask about stock and they have went and looked for me, that's going beyond! They always ask me how they are and when they were updating to self checkout they were super interested in making sure the experience went well and asked me if I had any suggestions. 61 people will be out of work from a place that allows this type of real community engagement. That matters to us. When we shop there, we feel like we are supporting a business that treats its people right.

 

The selection at New Leaf is not mass-produced or thrown together. It is curated with care. We find staples there that are consistently fresh and interesting. The trendy new items seen at Sprouts somehow don't stick. New Leaf carries truly local products, many from women-owned businesses and organic products super close to us, I even know our farmer's market friends who have their products carried here. We can fill our glass jugs with clean water and avoid drinking from plastic bottles which is a small but meaningful choice for our health and the planet. It isn't the only health focused or eco friendly practice new leaf follows either.

There is nothing like this place! No where else nearby feels like a personal, dedicated farmer's market that's open 7 days a week. It's a blessing. 

We can find specialty items there that we simply cannot get anywhere else nearby. For me personally, New Leaf saves me a two-hour drive in traffic to Molly’s Stones or the Santa Cruz location. That is not convenience... that is necessity. I do not have the luxury of being able to tolerate most foods and this store carries all 6 of my staples. It feels like I am somewhat normal to be able to walk into a store and actually have a selection of foods to choose from an eat. It is extremely pivotal and a highlight of my life. As vulnerable as that is to say.

We Have Fought for This Before!

This is not the first time we have rallied to protect this space. Many of us remember when we banded together to stop a gas station from being built here by the private landlord. We showed up then, and we can showing up now. We care deeply and weren't even consulted. This store affects us, it shouldn't be an experiment for some person to see what we will tolerate. 

 

If anything, I hope this moment serves as a wake-up call and even as advertising. New Leaf should be shared with more people to bring in new customers who will fall in love with its quiet charm and quality goods. This market is clean, peaceful, and set apart from the urban FAST-FAST- FAST nature that plague so many other shopping centers. It is exactly what you would imagine a nice neighborhood should have: a calm, beautiful, human-scale place to nourish your body and soul.

Please, do not let this market disappear over a spreadsheet. We are asking you to return to the table. We are asking for transparency, for good-faith negotiation, and for a lease that reflects the value this community brings, not just in dollars, but in loyalty, in love, and in the countless small moments that make a neighborhood a home.

 

We don't have much time so please sign. They're slated to close too soon, no time to adjust. I believe late September. 

 

Thank you for listening. We hope you will choose community over profit, peace over congestion, and the future of Evergreen over another empty storefront.

 

Sincerely,

The Community of Evergreen