‘You’ve got to come in and shop,’ says All-In Grocers co-founder

This story is featured in the summer edition of the Black Iowa Newspaper — pick one up in more than 100+ locations in dozens of cities statewide.

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UPDATE: Rodney Anderson, co-founder of All-In Grocers in Waterloo, posted a message to Facebook on Aug. 10, stating the store is “fighting to stay in the community” and will close from Aug. 12 to Sept. 16, to work with a new wholesaler, lower the costs of goods and expand its product line, resulting in better-quality products and fair prices.

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All-In Grocers co-founder Rodney Anderson said more shoppers have flocked to Waterloo’s All-In Grocers since a nearby Hy-Vee grocery store closed in June.

“That’s going to bring more customers, which we’re seeing already,” he said.

Hy-Vee’s grocery stores span nine Midwestern states. The company generates over $13 billion in annual sales and recently closed stores in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Davenport. Critics argued the closures hit the residents who could least afford it the hardest, particularly Black Iowans. The Hy-Vee store was located about two miles north of All-In Grocers, which opened last October after a seven-year journey.

Anderson said he and co-owner Lance Dunn contributed $2 million of their own money to build the $10 million, 28,000-square-foot All-In Grocers development. The site features a restaurant, community center, education program, reentry services and a laundromat.

“So we are All-In with our community,” Anderson said. “So we put our money where our mouth is. So we just ask people to come get food to put in their mouths.”

He said the grocery store has experienced some supplier issues, which have affected products and prices. Customers noticed, and some have complained online. He asked the community to be patient while the store revamps its products and introduces a new line.

“You’re not going to just wake up one day and have everything that you want at $10 less than everybody else,” he said.

Anderson said the store opened in an area that had lacked a grocery store for 50 years, making it a “food desert,” which is an area that lacks access to fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2024, 24/7 Wall St. dubbed Waterloo-Cedar Falls the eighth worst city in the nation for African Americans.

Counting on community

The store serves an important role in the community, Anderson said. He is confident they will build a loyal following.

“As far as the community support, the community support has been decent,” he said. “It’s not where we want it to be.”

He urges shoppers to share feedback with the store.

“Let us know, not just about the products: What would you like to see us sponsor? How can we come together with the community?” he said. “How do we sit and talk?”

“We can have a trillion items in All-In for you to buy, but if you’re not coming to buy some of those items, those items are expiration-dated — so they have to be put aside. Well, you’ve got to come in and shop. You’ve got to show that support,” he said.

The store is currently “30-40 percent under” its projections, and it will take time to change people’s mindsets and shopping patterns, he said. Even so, the store can already count many successes, he said.

“The success is that All-In Grocers is there,” he said.

He also heralded the number of jobs the grocery store development has brought to the area. He said there are 34 full-time positions at the store and 20 positions at the restaurant.

Anderson said the hurdles and fight to develop the project were “biblical.” He said none of the store’s financing came from within the state of Iowa.

“A huge success is having the financial partners that we have on board with us,” he said. “That’s something that a lot of companies don’t have — especially in neighborhoods that are underserved.“

We will be successful,” he said.

The All-In site includes:

• Grandma’s Hands Restaurant
• The Ms. Willie Mae Wright Community Center
• The Clean Laundromat
• Satellite office of the 1619 Freedom School
• Road Home reentry services, with American Family Insurance.