Frequently Asked questions:

Why A mobile market?

Great question! In short, while many people can get to a grocery store, not everyone can do it easily. The Dotte Mobile Grocer is designed to bring fresh, affordable food to Kansas City, Kansas residents — especially those without a grocery store nearby. Building a grocery store is unfortunately very expensive and difficult. By using a mobile market, we can get more food to more people in more places.

Can you come to my Location?

Maybe. The Dotte Mobile Grocer was designed by the residents of Wyandotte County to serve the residents of Wyandotte County. That means that it is unlikely to serve any location outside of Wyandotte County, Kansas. It is also not feasible for us to make door-to-door deliveries: we work best carrying lots of food for lots of people to choose from. Within Wyandotte County, there will be 15 community locations serving as regularly scheduled stops for the mobile grocery service. These locations are based upon the number of people living in or visiting the area that have limited access to a grocery store.

What food items will you stock?

All kinds! The Mobile Market Community Council asked residents of Wyandotte County what they wanted, and we received a lot of great feedback. Overall, we want it to be like any other grocery store. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Dairy, cheese, and milk. Frozen and sliced meats. All of the things that you might need to make a meal with your family. While space is limited on the Dotte Mobile Grocer vehicle, there is still a lot of room to carry what the community wants to see. We will continue to listen to feedback and stock the food items that the community wants to see carried the most.

Will you carry ________ ?

If we can reliably get it from our wholesale grocery partner(s), then we can look into it. That will be a decision for the Mobile Market Community Council and Cultivate KC, and will be informed by the desire for it among community customers shopping at the Dotte Mobile Grocer. If it is a unique product that we cannot consistently stock each morning at our wholesale grocery partner(s), then unfortunately the answer is probably no.

Does this compete with other grocery stores?

That is a good question. We don’t believe so, because in almost all of the areas that we intend to serve, they are the most populated areas with the least number of grocery stores. The Mobile Market Community Council and Cultivate KC have made a commitment to not locate next to an existing grocery store, and the current zoning ordinance that governs mobile markets in Wyandotte County puts a firm limit on how close we can park to one. Our goal is to give people high quality choices, and if they prefer to shop with us once a week, that is great! In talking with many Wyandotte County residents, however, there are still too many people who have difficulty getting to a grocery store for whatever reason. For many seniors in our community that don’t own a car, not having a nearby grocery store can be bad for their health. We believe that more options helps everyone. One benefit of a mobile market: it can always go to where it is needed the most.

Can I help?

Of course! There are many ways to support the Dotte Mobile Grocer. First, if you are a resident of Wyandotte County, you could consider joining the Mobile Market Community Council as a resident member (please email us if you are interested). If you work for an organization that provides grant funding, we always love hearing about new opportunities. If you are a student with an interest in supporting the project somehow as part of your studies, send us an email and we’ll see what makes sense. And if you just want to show up and volunteer, those opportunities will be made available whenever we post our regular schedules.

Will You Accept WIC?

That’s the idea! The Dotte Mobile Grocer is committed to becoming one of the first mobile markets in the country to carry the entire WIC package. WIC stands for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children. It is also an important tool for health because it requires that a participating grocery store carry a minimum stock of things like fresh fruits and vegetables, and at a reasonable price. You also do not have to be a recipient of WIC to shop at the Dotte Mobile Grocer; everyone is welcome!

When will you be open?

Rest assured: we’re getting closer every day and hope to begin sales by the end of 2023!

What will your hours be?

Loosely around normal business hours. Starting out, we expect our days and hours will prioritize giving community locations a consistent and preferred schedule. Our staff will work 40 hours a week, which gives us roughly enough time for three stops a day, five days a week. Depending on when our wholesale grocery partner wants us to stock, that will determine when our day starts. It is expected that we will have a morning (~9am), noon (~12pm), and afternoon (~3pm) stop each day. Those days may be Monday - Friday, or we may stagger one day to include Saturdays. We will be sure to post our schedule as soon as its finalized.

Will you be seasonal?

No — we will be available year-round! We have talked to a lot of people in the grocery world, and their advice was that “consistency is king.” To do this, however, requires that we have reliable access to food items, just like any other grocery store. This will shape what we carry, so that we can still bring fresh produce to people year-round, even in the winter. We will do our best to carry the highest quality food items at a low-cost and will strive to continue to improve as we grow.

I Thought this was supposed to launch a long time ago?

We’re still here! It’s a long story, but one that has shaped us for the better. You can learn more here.

Can we do an interview?

Sure! Just make sure that someone from the MMCC or Cultivate KC can participate! Please email us with at least a few days advance notice so that we can schedule a convenient time to connect.

Who did your design?

Thank you for noticing! We were fortunate to have partners like Dotte Agency from the KU School of Architecture engaged in building the Dotte Mobile Grocer. The brand, logo, and overall look and feel of the Dotte Mobile Grocer was created by Carpenter Collective. The name and final decisions regarding all design features were determined by the Mobile Market Community Council itself. The design of the Dotte Mobile Grocer was a priority because, as one of our community partners told us when we were getting started, “People want something beautiful. Make it something people want to see.”

I would like to start a mobile market: can you help Me?

We are happy to share our experiences, so feel free to email us anytime. However, make sure to check out the Veggie Van Toolkit first; it has some great tips and suggestions for anyone interested in starting a mobile market.

What is the truck’s name?

Dottie :)