Atkins, other dieters take walk on Low Carb Avenue

By Tricia Autry, Special to Germantown Appeal, January 22, 2004

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There's a new option in Germantown for diehard fans of a low-carb diet, diabetics, and weight watchers of a variety of persuasions.

Vickey Hansard's Low Carb Avenue grocery store in Germantown on Farmington Boulevard at Exeter opened its doors about three months ago, and is "just doing extremely well," says Hansard.

"The gift baskets for diabetics, both adults and children, and those embracing the Atkins low-carb diet guidelines gave us a business boom that's been a jumpstart for our new store," she said.

Hansard, who was a hygienist working with special needs children before opening Low Carb Avenue, said, "A lot of thought, saving and planning went into this store before opening it. I talked with several chapters of the National Diabetes Association, a number of doctors, nutritionists, and other experts. We wanted our business to be upscale to fit the city, easy for our busy customers to use, and be known for its high-quality products."

Hansard is the sole owner and financial backer of Low Carb Avenue, but running the growing business is a family affair. Her aunt and uncle, Charles and Bernice Scheel, who retired from long-term careers in manufacturing and transportation respectively, assist Hansard in handling customer requests, stocking and checkouts.

"When Vickey came to us with the idea of the store and asked if we could help, we said 'We're ready. Retirement is for the birds,' " said Bernice Scheel.

Hansard's niece, Courtney Matthews, also works during busy times.

"We've had people on Weight Watchers come in, many diabetics, parents looking for something different for their children, athletes and people who just want to lose a few pounds," said Hansard. The store allows customers to sample products before they buy them. "Low-carb is not cheap, so you need to know you like something before buying it."

Don Jordan, owner of Germantown's Holiday Ham and Deli and Jason's Deli, showed up at opening time for Low Carb Avenue on a recent Saturday morning, saying, "I need some help. I need to lose some weight. I've been on this Atkins diet religiously for more than two weeks and, besides being sick of beef, I haven't seen the weight loss I need."

Hansard discussed several options with Jordan, who is a diabetic, and he left with a number of diet selections. Hansard also advised him to drink plenty of water on the Atkins diet because "water flushes the kidneys, washing out the carbs."

Low Carb Avenue has 1,200 low-carbohydrate and low-sugar food products in its compact location. Items range from low-carb margarita mix to eight flavors of low-carb bread to candies, frozen meals, and more. Cooking classes are offered.

Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with 10 percent off everything each Tuesday when the business day is extended to 7 p.m. The store is located at 7348 Farmington Blvd., next door to Enterprise National Bank.