Long before eating organic was mainstream and “buy local” was a common call-out, Ken Klatt opened Amaranth Whole Foods Market. As a suit-clad accountant, he felt like an outsider being judged at the few health food stores in town so in 1994, he decided to open a people-centric store of his own that welcomed customers to join him in helping to build a better, healthier world.
“My dad wanted to create a store with the values of promoting good food and sustainability that was also open to anybody no matter where they were on their health journey,” says Brendan Klatt, co-owner of Amaranth Whole Foods Market.
That small store in Crowfoot Centre quickly took root in the community and the fledgling company grew. In 2000, Amaranth moved into a larger space in Arbour Lake and the company expanded significantly over the next several years; Ken opened a store in St. Albert, launched a supplement store on 130th Avenue SE, added a store in the Beltline (which closed in 2023), and introduced its Southland location on Elbow Drive with his son, Brendan, in 2022.
Over the past three decades, the popularity of whole and organic foods has soared and more people are shopping organic for weekly groceries and using natural supplements to promote good health. Box stores and chain grocers have introduced aisles dedicated to organic products to take advantage of the demand but unlike them, Amaranth is choosey about the products it carries. The owners have a long-standing vision to support products that are ideally organic and local.
“From the beginning we said we’re only going to bring in organic products that are good for people, good for farmers, good for the planet and that support local companies,” Brendan says. “We don’t bring any foods into our stores with synthetic food dyes and we follow the same regulations that most countries in the EU follow in terms of dyes, synthetic additives and titanium dioxide.”
That means Amaranth says no to many products that don’t meet those standards, even if they sell well in other markets. Customers know that by buying Amaranth’s high-quality local products, they are supporting farmers and producers in their own community while also earning additional in-store cashback rewards points for adding featured local products to their carts. They also know that money spent at Amaranth, with its local ownership, will be reinvested into the economy and into the community through Amaranth’s support of numerous charities.
The Klatts know that there are other health store options and they show their appreciation for their loyal customers through the popular monthly Sale Days. On the first Wednesday of the month and the Tuesday that bumps against it, customers enjoy 20 per cent off supplements and body care products and on the third Wednesday of the month, all regular-priced items in the store are 12 per cent off.
“Around 35 per cent of our monthly sales happen on those days, and a ton of customers wait for those days to do their shopping,” Klatt says. “It allows people on a budget to stock up on the products they can’t find elsewhere and to support us.”
This is great for the huge number of customers that make the trip across town or drive in from communities surrounding Calgary to shop the store’s unique selection of grocery items, produce, meat and dairy, much of which is sourced locally, certified organic and non-GMO. Local bakers like Homestead Bread and Canela Vegan Bakery keep Amaranth stocked with fresh bread and baked goods, and local farmers and ranchers provide Amaranth with organic and free-range beef, chicken and pork along with wild game like elk, bison and boar. Amaranth is no stranger to carrying various wellness goods by Made in Alberta companies like Higher Healths and New Earth Organics.
“Also, a lot of our customers want to add more organs into their diet because of the high amount of nutrients in them, and eating an animal nose-to-tail is more sustainable and more respectful of the animal,” says Brendan. “Customers want to eat organs but they find them a bit weird and intimidating, so we’ll just take ground meat and mix in 10 per cent ground organs. It’s a really convenient way to get liver, heart or other organs into your diet, and your family has no idea.”
Customers who shy away from cooking organs are opting for easier delivery of those nutritional benefits. To aid in that, Amaranth carries a wide range of supplements that offer the immense health benefits of superfoods and nutrients, with everything from berry or mushroom blends to grass-fed collagen to freeze-dried organs, all in convenient powdered or capsule form. With so much to choose from, Amaranth’s knowledgeable, approachable staff are happy to explain the products and steer customers to the ones that would best fit their needs. The team has become a valued resource that customers can trust to guide them toward their health goals.
The Klatt family is driven by a mission to create a better way for people to eat, live and thrive, and they know it’s about more than quality food: it’s about connection and community. For 30 years, Amaranth Whole Foods Market has been that connection between local farmers, producers and the customers they serve, and the Klatts are proud to continue to act as the heart at the centre of this connected community.
130th
Avenue
5222 130 Ave SE · (403) 253-2711
Arbour
Lake
7 Arbour Lake Dr NW · (403) 547-6333
Southland
10233 Elbow Dr SW Unit 350 · (403) 768-2440
