Green Zebra (Portland, Ore.) announced that will close its three locations March 31. Since its founding in 2013, Green Zebra “has sought to redefine what it means to be a convenience store in America,” the closure notice on its website said.
Instead of selling cigarettes, lottery tickets and jumbo-sized sugary drinks like most convenience stores, the company said it offered customers made-from-scratch grab-and-go meals, a full-service coffee bar, kombucha Zlurpees, locally sourced meat, produce and groceries, along with an extensive local beer selection.
“We have been holding on by a thread since the pandemic started and have been in austerity mode since then,” said Lisa Sedlar, Green Zebra Founder and CEO. “We experienced nine straight quarters of increases to our cost of goods, packaging, fuel, insurance, taxes, freight charges and well, pretty much everything. Combine that with supply chain and staffing shortages and razor-thin grocery margins, we just couldn’t overcome all the obstacles. We definitely gave it our all and fought the good fight. We are thankful for the opportunity to have been a service to our community.”
Green Zebra did not mention rising theft at its locales as a reason for the closures. However, as reported previously, Walmart, Nike, Cracker Barrel and other chains have shuttered their stores within Portland’s limits due to growing crime woes.