Located in the north end of Columbia State Historic Park at the corner of Main and Jackson Streets.
Address
11245 Jackson Street, CA 95310 USA
Business hours
9 AM - 6 PM DAILY
Columbia Mercantile 1855
One of a kind Gold Rush-style Provisioning Store offering Full-Service Quality Groceries at Fair Prices
Fresh Locally Ranched Meat, Organic Produce, and Flower Bouquets, International Specialty Items, Fresh Baked Sourdough Bread, Staples, Spices, Frozen & Microwavable Meals, Dairy & Cheeses, and extensive Organic, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Non-Dairy options.
Beverages - Bottled Water, Local Wines, Craft Beer, Hard Cider & Kombucha, Sarsparilla, and Sodas
Ice Cream, Old Fashioned Cookies and Sweets
OTC Pharmacy and Sundries, Music Supply Store, Antiques, Homegoods, and Collectibles, Garden, and Argonaut Fine Art Gallery
Our Mission
The Columbia Mercantile 1855 is a reimagined modern provisioning grocery store opened in 2018 to support the needs of regional residents and visitors of the living history town of Columbia, California. Our friendly, full-service market is presented in striking mid-19th century style and offers relevant, high quality products at fair prices. The products you want and need, combined with our commitment to great personal service, will make your regular trip to “town’ a worthwhile adventure. Experience “Eureka!” moments of discovery and delight shopping for great food and more... You'll find yourself saying, “Wow! I didn’t expect to find THAT in Columbia!”
The Modern Misadventures of a Petticoat Proprietress©
With no previous grocery store experience or “brick and mortar” (literally!) retail experience, and no longer living in Tuolumne County, the idea of opening a reimagined Mercantile came from a frustrated, flip remark I made two years after the previous store's closure in 2014. At that time, the long-shuttered building and lack of investment interest signaled the permanent loss of an important community food provider, and for me, the end of Columbia as a "real town" prompting a very unexpected “I should just do it myself!" comment. Opening a grocery store, never mind one in 19th century style, was never a life goal, but suddenly my history growing up and working in Columbia combined with my adult work/life experiences and family relationships were exactly what was needed to bring this one-of-a-kind shopping experience to life. Two years of research learning where food comes from, understanding what a historic provisioning store should look like, and weighing the financial risk, prompted a move back to Columbia. Our commitment to opening the Columbia Mercantile 1855's iconic, green iron doors daily was a start of a brand new, exciting chapter-- for Columbia, and for our family. Please join us on the adventure!
Historic Provisioning for a New Century
Teresa Rudolph Torbett
Proprietress
Delight in the beautiful store interior designed in harmony with the building’s 1855 architecture and French Quarter history. As an interpretive experience, your grocery shopping visit is meant to feel a little different and memorable— just like a ride on the stagecoach-- and you will find that on some items prices are unmarked, partly from necessity and partly by design, as we bring this provisioning store, building, and esthetic back to life. It’s part of the charm and the challenge, and we promise not to charge you more just because we heard a rumor that you struck gold! We created a warm and welcoming photo-ready backdrop with a commitment to fair pricing using our modern point of sale system. We strive to be your favorite local market!
The Columbia Mercantile 1855 offers full-service groceries with a focus on natural and organic products, with many your favorite conventional items, too. Our carefully curated mix of international imports and locally produced items is meant to reflect and teach about the diversity of the 49er gold seekers who made Columbia their home. Our old-fashioned, personal service strives to exceed your shopping needs.
The addition of the Argonaut Fine Art Gallery, OTC Pharmacy, "Music Store in a Basket" for all your instrumental needs, and variety of practical Home Goods and Collectibles will take you back in time while expanding your modern shopping options.
We are open DAILY from 9 AM – 6 PM, and we accept SNAP/EBT food stamp benefits. We accept cash, all major credit cards, Apple pay, RADCard, etc. Gift Certificates are available. Follow us on FB and Instagram for updates and occasional closures or changes to hours.
Our goal is to provide a sense of “downtown community” whether you are a nearby neighbor or have just discovered Columbia for the first time.
COVID-19 and PG&E Power Outages
We have not raised our prices, and while we remain committed to ensuring your safety and ours during the COVID-19 pandemic, as of March 2022 we are no longer enforcing masks inside the store. We reserve the right to adjust our policies in response to updated public health recommendations. Masks are available for purchase, and for those requiring additional customer service and/or minimal contact, we are happy to fill phone orders/requests at the door, and deliver curbside.
We remain open for limited service during PG&E power outages.
Want to help fund the installation of an emergency power generator to ensure uninterrupted service and prevent food loss? Please contact us directly at ColumbiaMercantile1855@gmail.com. Your support is appreciated!
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