Staff of Life in Santa Cruz

In addition to great grocery and produce selection, the sandwich shop and hot bar are great. Tempeh reuben is killer. Selection of bulk items is second to none.

Great prepared food and amazing grocery selection.

A legend in Scruz. Great food selection.

Great store, has been around for decades, and is only getting better. Wonderful produce, fruits, bulk items (grains, flours, rice, etc.), Decent fish and meats, though not as bountiful as before, dairy, wine, frozen goods, raw foods, nice cheese section, bread, all in a wide variety of options. Green household section. Extensive alt health section with something for everyone. Paleo friendly. Store products are mostly organic or natural. Great staff as well. I go to TJs or Safeway for some specific items, like bulk wine, but hardly ever need to.

Good prices, good selections helpful when asked plenty of parking.

One of the cashiers has had a few bad days, and made it her mission to spread negativity. A black homeless man walked past, as she scoffed loud enough for vicinity to hear "Get a job!" I mentioned I have two jobs but still find it difficult to pay for four walls. This attitude is unacceptable at "STAFF of life" where everyone should feel welcomed, whether it be to use the bathroom, get a cup of coffee, or milk. Homelessness affects many people, much of whom labor hard, and yet are still surviving. Eradicate this dark attitude from this establishment. Employment does not guarantee housing affordability. Nasty attitudes towards fellow humans is a reflection of a misguided soul, or just simply a nicotine fit that needs to be satisfied. "Get a job somewhere else"!

I normally dont shop in Santa Cruz but because I was there I did a little shopping at that store. Prices are high so I ended up buying only two items.

First time there. Delicious pastries. Try Tofu/vegan strawberry pie. 😋

First time in here. Was very chill and had what I wanted. Very helpful staff

So many good & unique items here & produce is top notch. Love the staff, for the most part. Garden section & cafe are my favorite parts & love that there’s matcha lattes now.

Excellent cheese department. Regenerative dairy. Full-loaded, fun place in Southern Santa Cruz county to visit while on a vacation.

The employees were real nice especially the long haired dude working in the wellness/vitamin section..he has great knowledge and was extremely helpful and insightful..finally experienced what I expected in customer service but never got the past few years..cant say that for the past times I would go there. Practically all the check out clerks had lousy attitudes and were very rude. Seems like theyd be in a clique speaking Spanish to each other. Glad to say it wasnt just me..several people who I just met expressed the same thing. Hopefully this recent experience continues. They have the best selection and variety of health products. But I stopped going there because of the consistent bad attitude and rude behavior from employees. That was then..hope that toxic behavior I experienced is in the past.

My favorite health food store in Santa Cruz! They have a lovely rustic atmosphere and good solar light coming in that makes the shopping vibe very relaxing and fun! They have the best produce and the staff members are always so friendly and helpful! An absolute gem in the Santa Cruz area! Also their bulk section is the best in town!

Brand new place. An extension from the one in santa cruz & fastly becoming their superior sister.

Love everything about this place. Great butcher with high quality, local meats. They also have amazing pies that my GF/DF wife can eat!

I moved away from SC, and this place is high on the list of what I miss most. I went there recently and they still have so many of the great things that theyve have for over 30 years. Miss you, Staff!

This is my favourite grocery store. They have items no one else has. It may not be the cheapest, but it is one of the few locally owned stores left. They have the best pastries, and might be the only place I can think of that actually adds whole grains to their pastries. Even croissants!

Large store with a massive Levi / Denim selection, womens clothing was on the average side but you could still find a unique style. I felt it was a bit pricey for being second hand.

Best produce in town. Lots of good alternatives as well as the basics. The staff is okay and usually helpful but not always. The layout can make it a little difficult to find things if you havent been there a lot.

Always a pleasure to visit and I was able to stock up on my favorite Cell Food face gel. An amazing product.

First visit, surprised by the variety of products and brands I havent seen before or for awhile. Found locally made items I took home and enjoyed. Ill have to go back for more next time Im in Santa Cruz.

Great products! So many fresh herbs and teas. Also carry a huge selection of vegan, organic foods and goods I cant find elsewhere! Will definitely make the trip over the hill just to come shop.

This is the best grocery market in the area. Coming from Australia and having owned my own these guys have thought about product selection and have been incredibly responsive to my requests. One, have a coffee brand that has a roating date on it, they now sell Verve coffee which happens to be my favorite and l asked if they could get a better water refill machine and they did. I cannot say enough good things about this place and l wish them all the success in the world. Thank you Staff of Life!

I really enjoy shopping at Staff of lifeThey have so many organic and natural products here. The staff is friendly and helpful. Store is clean food is good!

If you want to pick up some interesting snacks and ingredients that Safeway doesnt carry, this is the place. Buy a fresh juice on the way out.

Tried to call ahead but got intercept message saying due to COVID no staff was available to cover phones. Drove to the store only to be told by the seafood guy their 50 pounds of crabs hadnt been delivered. Bought mediocre crabs from Costco.

Local health food store. They carry things you cant get at Whole Foods. They are really committed to sustainability and have an amazing suppliments section. Probably the best place in Santa Cruz to find rare herbs.

Staff of Life has one of the best cheese selections In the Bay Area and a great selection of wine. It is a complete grocery store with meat, fish, produce, dairy, and so on. The founders/owners are delightful people and their good energy radiates through everyone who works there. It is a truly local store with abundant choices and superlative quality.

A great place to buy groceries, organic produce, natural and free range meats, sustainable seafood, and essential oils. I especially love getting herbs, spices, and mixes in bulk. I dont live in Santa Cruz these days, but we were driving by and I remembered that I was getting low on herbs to make root beer kombucha. We found they had licorice root powder, and sarsaparilla, but they didnt have sassafras (which is more rare).

Good quality products, great friendly staff. High prices but hey thats Santa Cruz and thats what you pay for healthy foods.The benefits of organic foodHow your food is grown or raised can have a major impact on your mental and emotional health as well as the environment. Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives may find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods.Organic produce contains fewer pesticides. Chemicals such as synthetic fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides are widely used in conventional agriculture and residues remain on (and inthe food we eat.Organic food is often fresher because it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it last longer. Organic produce is sometimes (but not always, so watch where it is fromproduced on smaller farms nearer to where it is sold.Organic farming tends to be better for the environment. Organic farming practices may reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy. Farming without synthetic pesticides is also better for nearby birds and animals as well as people who live close to farms.Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts. Feeding livestock animal byproducts increases the risk of mad cow disease (BSEand the use of antibiotics can create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Organically-raised animals tend to be given more space to move around and access to the outdoors, which help to keep them healthy.Organic meat and milk can be richer in certain nutrients. Results of a 2016 European study show that levels of certain nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, were up to 50 percent higher in organic meat and milk than in conventionally raised versions.Organic food is GMO-free. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOsor genetically engineered (GEfoods are plants whose DNA has been altered in ways that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding, most commonly in order to be resistant to pesticides or produce an insecticide.Organic food vs. locally-grown foodUnlike organic standards, there is no specific definition for “local food”. It could be grown in your local community, your state, your region, or your country. During large portions of the year it is usually possible to find food grown close to home at places such as a farmer’s market.The benefits of locally grown foodFinancial: Money stays within the local economy. More money goes directly to the farmer, instead of to things like marketing and distribution.Transportation: In the U.S., for example, the average distance a meal travels from the farm to the dinner plate is over 1,500 miles. Produce must be picked while still unripe and then gassed to “ripen” it after transport. Or the food is highly processed in factories using preservatives, irradiation, and other means to keep it stable for transport.

the sweetest man named victor helped me SO much today. i loved his hair and really wanted to touch it. please tell him how amazing he is and double his pay. sincerely, this appreciative old lady

Dont buy their "purple" produce! I cut open my bell peppers and potatoes only to find that they were entirely devoid of color inside. And then, as if to mock me, when I cooked the peppers, what little color was in the skin disappeared completely. I will definitely be taking my business elsewhere, as these people would rather resort to trickery and deceit just to keep their precious purple essence for themselves.

Look Peeple ~ this place is the REAL Deal ! ~ A natural food store that is wildly & epically successful, but didn’t franchise AND didn’t sell out to Amazon ?? THAT is one of the natural wonders of the REAL Santa Cruz !! Original founder has been the same owner since the beginning. Richard gave me my first job in Santa Cruz back in 1983 & I will be forever grateful.Whole Foods is just down the street but I’ll never step foot thru their door while it’s owned by Amazon ~ OR while Staff Of Life is alive, vibrant & LOCAL !{Think Local, Shop Local !}

I was refused service for not wearing a "Real" face mask. I have severe asthma and have to wear a face shield. The up front manager confronted me and said they were going to refuse me service because I did not have a face mask on me. Bold of them to assume I carry a worthless piece of cloth that does absolutely nothing to stop a virus with a 99.97% survival rate. I am so glad I am moving out of this garbage pile of a state. This store is overpriced and staffed by authoritarians.

Very big inside , surprisingly so ! Many of the locals support Organic 👏 whole foods and homeopathic healing methods . Beautiful products with knowledgeable employees able to make suggest. Could have stayed all day! Lovey outdoor space for visiting and having lunch. Still has the yummy buffet style foods I loved so much.L3employeesIG

Staff of Life is and always has been #1for natural food and personal care products on the entire Monterey Peninsula, in my opinion. The staff is highly knowledgeable, and if they dont know the answer they will find the answer. I no longer live in Santa Cruz but still shop at Staff (a 35 minute drivewhen I cant find what Im looking for here at home. Which is about once a month.

Staff of Life is dependably healthy and high end. While Whole Foods quickly went from wfpb high end to selling itself out trying to get "conventional" customers & now surviving as a barely passable remnant of healthy, clean ingrediants controlled by the mega monopoly Amazon, Staff of Life has remained focused on the descerning clientele catering to the educated health nut & those seeking clean minimally processed & organic. Such a great relief to know its there after the gold diggers have come and gone! And with a great juice & smoothie bar! The eye of the storm. Love this place.

Very expensive. Nice produce and lots of bulk items. It takes forever to pay. The cashiers have no energy. Slow robots is what they look like. Im glad to see the pastries are individually wrapped now. I hope that they continue to wrap it. Quite a few customers use their bare hands when choosing their pastries.

One very very very long line but they Checkers moved as fast as they could. Excellent store with excellent products although today seemed a bit crowded as they were stocking shelves in every aisle seamed. If there was any way at some point in time those aisles could be a little wider? And I love this store and I will continue to shop for the amazing healthy foods. And the bakery department is the best ever

Wonderful selection of fine foods. Better selection of organic and special dietary needs foods than the whole foods down the street. Excellent wine and cheese corner, with very knowledgeable sommelier. Overall feels like what whole foods used to be before amazon bought it.

Been going here since I was a kid and now as a chef this and Shoppers Corner are the only way to go with regard to the produce and awesome grocery items. No joke bought the best tomato plants there last year, gave us dozens of amazing tomatoes.

Best grocery store in the county for sure. Super high quality produce, tons of options for dried goods, massive bulk section, decent hot food bar and deli, they pretty much have everything (assuming youre not a soulless husk addicted to corn syrup and food coloring).

Amazing store for those who have special diets (vegan/vegetarianand are looking for a high end grocery store which won multiple awards for its selection. Complete with coffee/smoothie stand in the front, outdoor dining area (with sink to wash handsand deli- this store has a little bit of everything including tons of products you can’t find anywhere else (egg, meat, dairy, gluten substituted products). Be prepared to pay a little extra for your groceries but it isn’t outrageous in the slightest.

The least environmentally friendly natural foods store Ive ever visited. They wont let you use your own produce bags, your own bulk bags, or your own grocery bags. You have to take everything in their temporary plastic bags. More waste for the landfills!They also wont let you fill your own bulk. And you cant see the prices for bulk items, so you find out later that the employee gave you $20 worth of quinoa and $15 worth of cherries.The selection is good, but the whole shopping experience was ruined when I got yelled at (during checkoutfor using my own grocery bags, and then I saw the bill. She finally stopped yelling at me when I promised to go to Whole Foods from now on.

Great selection in the bulk bin and very well prepared for COVID with a store attendant pouring, weighing, bagging, labeling for all customers. Some customers break the rules and go through the aisles in the wrong direction but otherwise the store feels safe. Everything is very well stocked, great selection of products. Very helpful butcher dept.

This is a wonderful store but I hesitate to call it a store... Its more of an cultural experience and a lovely one at that! You can purchase everything you need and have an enjoyable time doing it! Both the staff and your fellow customers are friendly, pleasant, and knowledgeable! See a product youve never used? A staff member well explain it to you and the person shipping next to you will give you a recipe or a tip! This place is like going to the old country store where you knew everybody your while life. Only here its strange who are helpful and friendly. If you need groceries, go there, if you need produce, go there, if you need health and beauty products, go there, if you need a hug, go there. Its that kind of place. Even if you dont need anything, go there.It smells as wonderful as it looks. There is a coffee shop in the front. This store is clean, well stocked, beautifully displayed, and has plenty of knowledgeable, helpful staff. The produce is lovely. The bulk food section is plentiful. The health and beauty department carries all the best natural beauty products and cosmetics and has a full time manager who is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They carry everything from Burts Bees to Annemarie Borland! I had a great time there. Prices are fair and comparable to other grocery stores. Go, youll never shop at Safeway again.

Staff of Life is my happy place. They have amazing produce, the most incredible bulk section in town (I try to be zero waste and Staff of Life is the best for me bringing in my jars and reusable produce bags). Im here at least once a week if not more, all the employees have always been nice. I never even considered leaving a review of a grocery store, but Ive loved this store since I was little and it was at its old location.

My favourite grocery story in the US. Ive been coming here since I was a kid and it has every organic item I could ask for, plus sells flowers and had a juice shop!

Wish we had one of these in San Jose. So many healthy options and great hot food bar!

This place is so much better than whole foods., and its locally owned. Tremendous selection of organic, vegetarian, vegan foods plus plants and all the supermarket favorites but much better quality products.