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A grocery store with no disposable packaging might sound like a radical idea, but Nude Foods Market is proving it can work. The Boulder-based company, which recently appeared on Shark Tank, is building a growing following with its zero-waste grocery concept, including a bustling location in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood that blends sustainability, local food, and community-driven retail.
Nude Foods Market operates two locations today: a combined warehouse and retail hub in Boulder and a second storefront in Berkeley, where we recently visited to see the concept in action. The model is simple but powerful.
Instead of disposable packaging, customers shop using reusable containers like glass jars, bread bags, and egg cartons that carry a small deposit. When shoppers return them, they receive a credit, typically about $1 per jar, through an honor-based checkout system. For frequent customers, there’s also a monthly jar membership that simplifies the process. The system works remarkably well. Nude Foods reports roughly a 90% return rate on jars, showing that customers are willing to adopt new habits when the system is easy and transparent.
The store’s shelves feel familiar in many ways, offering the everyday staples people expect from a natural grocer. Eggs, milk, nut butters, coffee, honey, and baking ingredients are among the fastest-selling items, with many products sourced locally or regionally. Popular Colorado brands like Wild Monkey Bars and Patter Bars appear alongside organic produce and specialty goods. But unlike traditional grocery stores, nearly everything comes without disposable packaging. One standout feature inside the Berkeley store is the grind-your-own nut butter station, where customers can grind fresh nut butter on demand. Another area offers refill stations for soap, shampoo, and conditioner, allowing shoppers to reuse the same container again and again with different scents and clean, sustainable ingredients.
The store also supports local makers and small food businesses. Nude Foods works with many vendors that traditionally sell at farmers markets, giving them a year-round retail outlet. Vendors go through an application process, and the company often helps them meet packaging requirements that align with the store’s zero-waste philosophy.
Beyond packaged goods, Nude Foods produces some of its own items in-house. A chef prepares vegan meal kits, weekly soups, and fresh foods like salsa, guacamole, hummus, and dressings. At least one gluten-free option is typically available, and the menu occasionally features guest chef collaborations.
Protein offerings also reflect the store’s sustainability focus. All produce is organic, while beef is sourced from Longmont and Boulder. Nude Foods has also explored selling invasive species like wild boar, an animal that causes major agricultural damage in parts of the country, to turn an ecological challenge into a responsible food source. The company is also exploring expanding into fish offerings.
Despite the unconventional packaging model, Nude Foods’ pricing is comparable to premium grocers like Whole Foods, with the added advantage of bulk purchasing for some items. For busy customers, the company also offers delivery in select zip codes and partners with local organizations such as Compost Colorado to help fulfill orders placed online the night before.
Behind the scenes, Nude Foods operates with a relatively small team of 20 employees across both locations, but the vision is much bigger. The Boulder warehouse currently functions as a central distribution hub, allowing the company to supply multiple stores from one location. Looking ahead, the founders plan to expand the concept strategically across the Front Range. The Berkeley store offers a glimpse of how the concept could scale. Located in one of Denver’s most community-oriented neighborhoods, the market is drawing families who are increasingly willing to rethink everyday shopping habits. For many customers, returning jars and refilling containers becomes second nature after just a few visits.
Nude Foods Market’s recent appearance on Shark Tank marks a major step in that growth strategy. The company secured a $250,000 deal from Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec for a 20% equity stake, capital expected to accelerate plans to open 3 to 5 additional stores over the next three to five years in walkable neighborhoods between Boulder and Denver along the I-25 corridor, reinforcing the brand’s community-driven approach to grocery retail.
In many ways, Nude Foods isn’t trying to reinvent the grocery store, it’s trying to restore an older idea with modern logistics. Before disposable packaging became the norm, reusable containers and bulk buying were simply how food systems worked. Now, with sustainability top of mind for consumers and cities alike, Nude Foods Market is betting that a cleaner, refillable future for grocery shopping is not only possible but scalable.