At Piedmont we love getting our BBQ into new folks' hands, especially if they’re busy parents looking for a way to have healthy meals on hand at all times and now we're available at Common Roots Farmers Market in Avondale Estates, GA.
Every time our products become available in a new area, we get excited and love to tell the stories of our partners, who aren’t “big box” retailers, but instead have a great story to tell.
Common Roots Farmers Market and Brock Nix are no different. We got a chance to sit down with Brock and learn more about the store, located in Avondale Estates, Atlanta.
Now let’s get to the good stuff:
Q: Brock, your website says 5 generations. That’s pretty remarkable. Can you give us a brief history of your family’s experience with produce? How long have you all been in the Atlanta area?
A : Our family started as farmers down in the Columbus, GA area back in the 1800’s (possibly further back than that). My great grandfather started a produce delivery service (Nix Produce) in the same area and that business was passed to my grandfather and ultimately my father.
When my father was in his early 30’s, he decided to sell his stake in the business to his cousin and start a retail market, which brings us to myself (5th generation). My brothers both operate a store in Lagrange, GA and Auburn, AL so it definitely runs deep with us.
Q: Not surprisingly, you’re on that path as well. Common Roots Farmers Market opened this year. What was the inspiration?
A : Inspiration is owed to my father and a love for fresh produce as well as customer service. Although my father passed in 2019 he left me with lots of industry knowledge that I’ll never forget
Q: Tell us a little bit about the name. How did you land on “Common Roots” ?
A : Part of our model was to become “rooted” in the community we serve so we knew we wanted to use that word in our name. After some serious brainstorming sessions we settled on "common roots" because we want to be a place that brings people together in a common setting and in turn root ourself within this community. Plus, we thought it had a nice ring to it:)
Q: What can visitors find at the store? What’s different from a Publix, Kroger, Whole Foods, etc.?
A : You’ll be able to find a wide variety of local products and produce which we source directly from the producers themself. We do not procure our local products from a 3rd party and believe that margin should go directly to the producer vs into somebody else’s pocket.
It really helps us form a true partnership with the business side of our community and makes for lots of great collab opportunities such as what we are doing now. We also display our produce loose or individually so that our patrons can get the right amount of product for their needs, which decreases waste. In addition to that we always have something seasonal on display such as plants, pumpkins and Christmas trees
Q: How did you pick the vendors and products you offer? What’s your process?
We originally got the weekend farmers markets pretty hard which helped us find avenues for potential good fits. However, as of week 3, we are starting to see quite a bit if interested producers approach us. We really like to keep those type products as local as possible so that’s a pretty big driver to that process
Q: What are your thoughts on our products like our Brunswick Stew? What makes them a good fit for Common Roots?
A : The quality is outstanding and that goes down to the ingredients and sourcing of said ingredients. The packaging is also well thought out with the "boil in bag" which is a great value to the end user.
In addition to that, the vegan options have been a huge hit! You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy those products, they taste good to anyone’s pallet (I would imagine). We also appreciate the culture Piedmont BBQ has created and can relate to what it’s like being a small business.
Q: Any complementary products you want to highlight?
A : We have a fantastic smoked pimento cheese made by Satisfied Food Company that really goes well on top of any of Piedmonts smoked meats. We like making pressed sandwiches and combining the two products!
Q: If you could describe the perfect experience you want for your visitors, what would that be?
A : while we understand people aren’t going to stop going to large grocery stores we really hope that people will think about us as their second stop. When somebody walks out the door we want them to say “wow, we stocked up on all our essential food items and picked up some great, unique local items as well.” Then we want them to look at their receipt and think “and for a very reasonable price as well.”
Q: For someone who reads this interview and is going to stop by for the first time, what advice would you give them?
A : I would tell them to check out or freezer and grocery section and keep their eyes peeled for great, locally sourced products that are curated not just because they are local but because they also add value. Piedmont BBQ is a prime example of that. We want to bring value to peoples lives and hope they get their eyes on those products while shopping with us
Q: What’s around the corner for Common Roots? Any events coming up?
A : We have a mead tasting this upcoming weekend (13th) and we will also be dishing out some samples from our deli this Saturday as well. The weekend after next (sat 20th) we are looking to get some local partners in for some tastings (which we would love for y’all to attend).
Q: Any advice you want to share with other independent groceries/general stores?
A : Customers pay attention to more details than you think. Sticking to the fundamentals such as clean, stocked and fresh goes a very long way. It’s ok to throw things away and isn’t worth risking a poor experience.
Q: Where is Common Roots Farmers Market and what is your schedule?
A : You can find Common Roots at
3409 Covington Hwy
Decatur, GA 30032
We are open 7 days a week.
Tuesday - Saturday 9-6.
Sunday 10-5.
Now open Mondays 10-7
Big thank you to Brock Nix for sharing his story!
If you are interested in offering Piedmont BBQ Co. products in your store, please apply on our wholesale BBQ site.
