Fifty years ago this week, Real Food Store (Real Food Market & Deli) opened in Helena. The store was ahead of its time; the health food trend that we know of today hadn't come into its own. Real Food was a first for Helena, but it came together by chance.
Laughing Water, the founder of the health-forward grocery store, came to Helena for a yoga retreat at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. The MIT graduate and self-proclaimed hippie had arranged to cook in exchange for a spot at the retreat, but he never left.
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India Supera, the Feathered Pipe Ranch leader, had asked him to stay, and they soon would marry. With her last $2000, Real Food Store was opened.
The Real Food brand was developed on the foundation of Laughing Water's life mission of providing healthy food.
"Pretty much all my life I've been in pursuit of health, which I define as the capacity to be fully alive," says Laughing Water, formerly Paul Superak.
Some customers have been shopping at the market since its inception. They say it's the quality, healthy ingredients that keep them coming back for all those years.
Marita Martiniak was told about the store by her roommate and first checked it out in 1978. She liked it and Laughing Water so much that she also worked there for decades.
"I just started shopping with him in all these different locations, and I just watched him grow," says Martiniak.
If you go to Real Food Market & Deli today, you'll find Laughing Water helping customers in the aisles, nurturing employees, and making sure everyone can be "fully alive."
"It's that quest for health. That's what brought me to the Feathered Pipe Ranch. It's something that needed to be done and still does," says Laughing Water.
Friday, October 11th, there will be a celebration of the anniversary at the store, located at 1096 Helena Avenue. There will be a live band and a face painter from 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M., vendors with free samples, 50 percent off the hot and salad bars, and raffles and gift baskets throughout the day.
