All containers brought to the store must be clean, dry, and empty. We ask that you place a food-grade, stainless steel funnel between the scoop/food dispenser and the container you brought from home as an additional layer of protection. Clean and dirty labels will separate funnels for each product. Our food bins will have a scoop that is washed, dried, and sanitized at regular intervals to ensure the highest level of safety and cleanliness in our store. We have regular deep cleanings of the store and follow FDA guidelines for food safety, handling, and storage.

Local Scoop is North County San Diego's first package-free grocery store. Our goal is waste-free food that is nourishing and wholesome. No plastic, no misleading labels, and no ingredients you can't read or pronounce. We carry the foods you love without creating single-use packaging you hate.

Most of our items are sold in a "buy as much or as little as you need model." Customers can buy huge or tiny amounts of products and pay for them by weight.

Package-free means that products sold by Local Scoop will never be in plastic or single-use containers. We use glass and other more sustainable materials that you can use many times. Unlike plastic and other traditional food packaging materials, we avoid things not intended for reuse.

The Encinitas Lumberyard 937 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite C-110 Encinitas, CA 92024

Monday - Friday: 11 AM - 7 PM Saturday - Sunday: 10 AM - 6PM

A circular economy prioritizes sustainable methods of production and consumption. It promotes the idea that rather than continually extracting and disposing of Earth's resources, we must aim to decrease waste production in the first place. By practices of reuse, refurbishing, repairing, sharing, and eventually recycling, we strive to eliminate waste, circulate and utilize products at their highest value. Essentially, it is the opposite of the extractive and wasteful linear economy we currently practice worldwide.

Food packaging can be confusing! Consumers are often intentionally misled about the benefits of certain foods and food products. Only whole food ingredients you can recognize and pronounce remain by stripping away the marketing. Simplified food empowers customers with a diet that is more nutritious and eco-conscious. As a store, we intend to commit a portion of our profits to local nonprofits and organizations that provide solutions and education about climate change, ocean and habitat preservation, and sustainability. We intend to actively participate in the community beyond the store at local and community-wide events. Our goal is to continue sharing the message of what it means to have a more positive and environmentally friendly food system that is inclusive and resilient.

By eliminating the need to buy more than you need, you prevent food from sitting on your shelf, expiring, and heading to the landfill. It's better for the planet and your wallet.

Package-free allows us to offer an array of ingredients and foods in the nude- no packaging or plastic. Take what you can use, refill anytime, and rely on your local grocery to connect you with your food source and your community's food system.

Consumers indirectly pay for the packaging of food items at traditional grocery stores. Local Scoop eliminates this wasteful and unnecessary cost when we buy and sell food in bulk. We purchase large quantities that enable customers to purchase premium quality products and natural, organic foods at affordable prices.

We are working towards a sustainable food system that uplifts our local economy and connects our community to their food. Our products go beyond considering environmental impact. We also prioritize the working, living, and wage conditions of those who make buying and selling our products possible.
Our approach is holistic in considering the land, the people, and the fair profit needed to maintain a circular economy.

1. Weigh your containers on the 'tare' station or grab a reusable container/paper bag
2. Write the product code
3. Fill up with as much or as little as you like!
4. Checkout
*Our team will always be buzzing around the store to lend a hand, so never hesitate to ask!

To tare a container is to weigh it while it is still empty. Once your empty container is tared, you can fill it with as much product as you'd like. When you're finished shopping, our team will weigh your items and subtract the weight of the empty container from the final weight so that you only pay for the food in the container.

Yes, we will not sell any products in plastic or sell plastic containers in the store. However, we believe strongly in reusing a container that already exists until the end of its usable lifespan. We celebrate and encourage this process, regardless of the container's material

Nope! Our motto is "buy only as much or as little as you need," and we mean it.

No worries! We also have 100% post-consumer recycled paper bags free for use, reusable glass containers, and cloth produce bags for purchase.

Yes! Any container (glass/metal/plastic/silicone etc.) or cloth bag is welcome, but it MUST BE EMPTY / CLEAN / DRY.

Pick Up: Stay tuned! Not quite, but we hope to offer this service in the future. Delivery: Not yet. Our priority is to get the store running as close to carbon neutral as possible before expanding our eCommerce and delivery options. We want to do this as sustainably as possible so bear with us!

Our store will offer various bulk food bins filled with raw ingredients for baking and cooking, teas, coffees, spices, nuts and trail mixes, and loads of other dry goods. We will also have an affordable range of superfoods, protein powders, and other vegan, paleo, organic, keto, and gluten-free foods. From locally sourced cooking oils to fresh farm produce, Local Scoop can help you build a healthier kitchen from the ground up.

We prioritize purchasing as close to home as possible, meaning we work with small suppliers and farmers wherever possible. We partner with food companies that align with our plastic-free mission and uplift a healthy, regenerative, local food economy.

Local Scoop supplies many certified gluten-free products, but the store is not 100% gluten-free. All gluten-free food items are labeled as GF.

Local Scoop supplies various vegan products and alternatives, but the store is not 100% vegan. All vegan food items are labeled with a V.

We strive to offer organic wherever possible. Sometimes we cannot get the organic version of a product without sacrificing sustainable shipping and delivery practices. In these instances, we do our best to balance priorities but are not a 100% organic store.

The name Local Scoop means something to us. We prioritize purchasing as close to home as possible, meaning we do not buy products from massive distributors. We try and partner with suppliers that align with our plastic-free mission and practice environmentally conscious farming techniques. Our store will always highlight local food purveyors who sell their products plastic-free and promote a healthy eating for our amazing customers!