SPRINGFIELD – The move from Agawam to Springfield marked the beginning of a new chapter for Bumpy’s Natural and Organic Foods. With four times the space and a new partner, owner Derryl Gibbs is hoping to make the 908 Allen St. location a mecca for area shoppers seeking healthier food options at affordable prices.

“We are having amazing support from the community,” said Gibbs as the store – which opened on Oct. 6 – began its third month of operation in the new location in January. So far, the new Bumpy’s location has had more than 1,400 individuals sign up for the store’s loyalty program, with 1,300 of those customers returning to shop, according to Gibbs’ new partner, Abe Yacteen of East Longmeadow.

Katherine Fox, whom Gibbs and Yacteen refer to as a co-worker, consultant and, according to Yacteen “the smartest person in the room,” said this ready acceptance of what Bumpy’s can offer the community mirrors the accelerating acceptance of natural food shopping among a growing cohort of Americans.

“From 1,000 square feet to nearly 4,000 square feet … [Bumpy’s expansion] follows the trend in the growth of natural food [shopping],” said Fox. “[The move] from Granby to Agawam to Springfield echoes what people want is in-demand natural foods.”

Gibbs, who began battling severe food allergies while playing semi-pro football on teams in the region before retiring in 2001, opened the first Bumpy’s in Granby in 2017. His first venture into the natural foods marketplace offered affordable pricing, similar to the business model of one of his go-to natural food shops, Deals & Steals in Northampton. His goal with that store was to offer individuals with special dietary needs – or a desire to eat more healthfully– an alternative to the high prices at popular shops like Whole Foods.

Within a year, Gibbs relocated Bumpy’s to a larger space at 303 Springfield St. in Agawam, opening at that location in January 2018. But his dream was always to bring Bumpy’s to his hometown of Springfield.

Yacteen – who partnered with Gibbs this past summer – said the two first met when the natural foods store owner came to Yacteen’s dealership – Longmeadow Motor Cars of Enfield, CT – to buy a car. Gibbs continued to stop by the dealership now and then, and Yacteen said the two men often chatted about Gibbs desire to move Bumpy’s to Springfield. In mid-2019, Yacteen said Gibbs brought him a proposal to partner in a Springfield venture.

“He came to me and said he wanted to open a larger store [and] I met with a colleague of his who had industry knowledge,” Yacteen said of the business plan discussion – which included Fox – that lead to the eventual relocation of Bumpy’s to the corner of Allen Street and Harkness Avenue. The two men agreed to become partners in August of 2019.             “I pondered it for awhile, and said ‘yes,’” Yacteen said.

Gibbs said moving Bumpy’s to its new Springfield location was a kind of homecoming for his business.

“I went to Classical High School,” Gibbs said of his roots in the city. “It’s really good to come back home to friends and family.”

After an extensive search, Gibbs said he chose the new location for Bumpy’s because the corner of Allen Street and Harkness Avenue is “one of the busiest streets in Western Mass.

 “We really think this area is growing rapidly and we are happy to be in [this] area and be part of the growth of Springfield,” Gibbs said.

Fox said the demographics of the area also played into the location decision.

“It’s also central to all the various communities – East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Springfield, Wilbraham,” she noted. “And we still have people from Agawam coming in, people from Chicopee coming in, people from Northampton coming in.”

Gibbs said he was “happy we are retaining those [original] customers” after the move.

Relocating to this area of Springfield also brought Bumpy’s into an area with competition. However, the close proximity of another well-established natural foods shop, Better Life Whole Foods located at 1500 Allen St., is not a concern, according to Fox.

“We support all the other local retailers in the market,” Fox said. “If there’s something we can’t get immediately [for a customer] we say ‘you can get it up at Better Life.’”

What the new, larger location is clearly offering Gibbs, Yacteen and Fox is the ability to elevate the product lines Bumpy’s has to offer its customers. The new store already has a small selection of fresh organic produce in addition to a greater depth of the product lines Bumpy’s carries, with plans for more product additions in the near future. Among those planned additions are more fresh produce, fresh smoothies and soups, a prepared food section, an assortment of “the best teas and coffees” and eventually, an onsite farmers’ market, according to Fox. Yacteen said the feedback to the current product additions has been “very good” and that the store would be increasing their offerings “when we are ready to do it with good execution.”

Fox said as Bumpy’s moves into its fourth month of operations, they have “reached a final agreement with EBT” which means “young mothers can come in and shop for healthier choices” for their families.

“I think in general, a lot of people want to eat healthier,” Fox said. “We want to say, ‘come to us and we can show you a way you can shop’” affordably.