Nude Foods Market began with a simple question about grocery waste. Rachel Irons and Verity Noble had both spent years thinking about the amount of plastic used in food retail. Noble had considered the idea of a low-waste grocery store since moving to Boulder in 2013. In 2019 she met others who shared the same goal, including Irons and Matt Arnold. Each brought different skills, and the group began planning a new type of grocery store built around reusable containers.
The founders first planned to open a physical store in Boulder in 2020. They started remodeling space inside a former restaurant and expected to launch that summer. The pandemic forced them to stop the buildout. Instead of waiting, the founders shifted to a delivery model. Nude Foods Market began delivering groceries in glass jars in July 2020. Orders went out by bicycle from the partially finished space. The jar system quickly became central to the operation.
Customers receive groceries in returnable glass jars and reusable containers. Shoppers return the jars for credit or refill their own containers. Many products come prefilled so customers can shop in a way that feels close to a standard grocery trip. Nude Foods Market sells groceries, prepared meals, household items, and body-care products. The selection now includes more than 1,800 items. Stores operate in Boulder and Denver, and the business also offers online ordering with pickup or delivery.
The delivery period helped prove that customers would return jars and use the system. After building a steady base of orders, the founders moved ahead with retail plans. Nude Foods Market opened its first store in Boulder in December 2021. A production area behind the store handles jar filling, washing, and some food preparation. A second store opened in Denver in April 2024 as the model expanded to another city.
Running the system requires work that most grocers do not handle. Staff fill jars, wash and sanitize returned containers, and manage labels and lids across hundreds of products. The business also works with many suppliers directly rather than relying heavily on large distributors. A share of the food comes from local producers who use the same reusable container loop.
Irons and Noble remain closely involved in the work. Arnold helped start the venture but later stepped away from daily operations. Nude Foods Market now operates as a small grocery chain with stores, delivery, and a membership program that removes container fees for regular shoppers. The model grew from a pandemic pivot into a retail system built around reusable packaging.
