Amaranth Whole Foods

“I didn’t want to start a natural food store.” This is a strange thing to hear from the man who owns four of them in two Alberta communities.

Ken Klatt was lured into the business by a friend and fellow volunteer. She called one evening as Ken and his wife were sitting at their kitchen table talking about how unhappy they were with the whole experience of shopping for organic food in Calgary in the ’90s. As Ken puts it, “You paid a price to buy.” Stores were dirty, the staff indifferent, and you felt like you were from another planet if you showed up in a suit. Ken and his former spouse were brainstorming the idea of opening a more inclusive organic food store, spotlessly clean and staffed with knowledgeable people. His friend beat him to the punch. She even had a name: Amaranth, after the hardy and versatile plant that was once a staple food of the Aztec people.