Jackson Jambalaya

What is happening to Jackson??? I still cannot believe this.

Check out the website for their computer co-op. The "current newsletter" is dated March 2007 and they offer 17" Used CRTs for $10, along with "progressive bumper stickers".

Ever wonder where that douchey hipster down the block got those 37 smug bumper stickers plastered all over his Prius? Chances are he picked them up while sending Hotmail and checking Friendster at Rainbow's Antique Computer Museum and Bumper Sticker Emporium.

Oh no! Where will I get my locally sourced, organic, free range sea weed?

@12:07

I knew it wouldn't be long before some smart#* made a comment such as yours. I was in Rainbow only one time and discovered it was not my cup-of-tea, but I would never fault people who shopped there and supported them. It is always sad when a locally owned business has to close. From what I've read over the past few years all of the problems Rainbow had with City caused flooding contributed greatly to their downfall.

They knew they were toast once whole foods moved to NE Jackson... not a shocker!

Now, where will I go in my Oberlin BLM hoodie to ask you to sign my petition for undersea wind farming? Resist!!

Rainbow is a dump. I don't mean the flood-ridden current place. I mostly mean the disgusting lack of sanitation. Their goods are left open where people with their bare unclean hands can touch them. I don't know why the Health Dept hasn't shut them down. It is a rallying point for the Feel the Bern crowd. Now that Whole Foods is there, Rainbow is a dirty, filthy white elephant. Good Riddance!

You jacka...s. You've never set foot in "The Fondren", much less Rainbow. This is a loss of a Jackson treasure. They were the soul source of healthy eating for years. I tried to maintain a membership there, but rarely went in recent years, due to, as they mention, other stores picking up on the organic bandwagon. Hopefully, their new location will work out and they will come back better than before!

I just spoke with someone at Rainbow. They are only closing temporarily due to the building they had chosen to move into is still being renovated. They are closing the month of August in hopes to relocate and reopen by February 2019. Everything is 25% off while supplies last.

12:25pm, the lack of sanitation is all part of the third world ambiance the left is so eager to bring to our country. Always remember what the end result of collectivism/communism/socialism is....every is equally miserable. That's the goal. They don't bring others up. They tear down the exceptional.

Whole Foods is taking over the site, and will deliver fresh cold brew coffee and acai bowls by drone to The Fondren. 15% discount for Millsaps Green Party members. No worries, mate.

12:26
You pompous blowhard!
The reason Rainbow had to file bankruptcy is because of ex-members like you. As soon as you realized that you could save money on "organic" somewhere else, you dropped them like a hot potato (ain't capitalism grand?).
Yet, here you are soothing your conscience by wishing them well, long after you stuck the knife their back.
Well done!

12:27, where is the new location? Still in the Jackson city limits?

The smelly, hairy armpit crowd is in mourning.

Hey, “lovermangenuis,” I hope for the sake of any partners you might have that you’re better at being a lover man than in spelling “genius.”

Never set foot in the place but I hate they're closing. Don't care what they make or sell.

I much prefer to see gazillions of small biz operations that generates personal income as opposed to the gov't alternatives for those who never try.

@ 1:29,
Yes capitalism is certainly grand. Having the freedom to choose is rare but here we have that unlike where I grew up in Hungary. Once you experience communism socialist believe me capitalism is grand indeed. Stop your bitching and complaining.

AMEN @ 1:29. Rainbow shoppers have been exposed as capitalist just like the rest of us. Guess they aren't as idealistic as they claim to be.

From the few times I've been there and from the even fewer people I know who regularly shopped there, this had less to do with changes in the market (meaning competition) than with the losses from flooding and other external problems. There is a core group who will always shop there vs. the alternatives and they still have a niche in the market here. They can move, adjust to scale, trim back their inventory, and probably be just fine.

I think it is pretty obvious that The Fondren is just too old and run down for any business to stay open. I am guessing that Rainbow will be reopening in either The Renaissance or The District.

Honestly, they would probably do best in Flowood since they will be farther away from Amazon Prime Groceries.

As a longtime supporter and member of the Rainbow Co-op, and frequent luncher at High Noon through the years, I am deeply saddened by the lowering of the final curtain. Frankly, I was surprised (and pleased) to see Rainbow remain viable for so long after Kroger began stocking many of the organic items, and even after the harder hit of Whole Foods’ arrival. Like many devotees, I made a point to shop there often, even if it meant paying a bit more for my almond milk, supplements, bulk items, and locally-grown veggies. And the daily soup and salad bar was a treat, always. That vegan Senegalese soup!

Many thanks to all those who made Rainbow what it was, especially during its early years, when nobody else was promoting healthful, clean eating in the nations’s plumpest state. It’s wonderful that mainstream big box stores have now seen that value in offering such items, but still...there will never be another Rainbow. I will mourn it as I do Olde Tyme Deli and the old original Fridge’s Fireside. And now, Jitney/McDade’s. Wow. So much gone.

They should re-open in the old Poets location in the Quarter.

Look, you Dickwads! This is not funny. This is serious. I left my roach-clip there last Wednesday. Who am I supposed to call? And obviously none of you have ever been out of fresh lentils and grape leaves.

3:38
Don't you mean "The Rainbow", "The Flowood" and "The Amazon Prime Groceries"?

The Woke weep...

Damn, 1:29, anger management issues much? Maybe you should make a quick trip to the Rainbow supplement department for some Valerian Root and lavender. Peace be with you.

DAMN IT!!!! Now where are the trustafarian patchoulis supposed to get their guilty white liberal on?

I am sad that another Jackson institution meets its demise. That being said, as a no /low carb meat eater, it sure seems that the health food crowd have an appearance of some of the unhealthiest looking folks around. Other than the morbidly obese crowd.

@3:38
It's obvious you haven't been to Fondren in the past 4 months or So. There is a ton of new development happening.

I am by no means a hippie, hipster, weedhead, or however you wish to characterize/stereotype the folks that shop(ped) at Rainbow, but they did have some really good prepared foods and some items that (GASP) are not available at Whole Foods.

BUT, I'll have to admit the place has a certain funk about it, and I don't mean groovy music...seriously, what's wrong with taking a shower every now and again and giving a shit about your appearance and how you smell???

Cold brew coffee and acai bowls are good (my wife loves acai). Please leave them out of this.

They claim capitalism is the downfall of mankind, but I bet if I loaded up a cart and just walked or without paying, they'd get capitalist real quick.

Sorry they are closing but it had a filthy stinky funk about the place.

I don't have a dog...er, avocado in this fight, but it does kinda amaze me that a Whole Paycheck and Kroger drove a co-op out of business in Jackson-friggin-Mississippi. Hell, I didn't even realize there was such stuff as organic free-range bologna, free-trade almond-milk American cheese singles and rainforest quinoa Bunny bread. I did realize there is tofu mayo, but I didn't think there was even a single jar east of Austin. Of course, I remember when picking a 'mater and a cuke out of your own garden wasn't "eating organic," it was just, well, the South.

Once again, I'm on the other side. Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which means I can never again in my life eat wheat, rye or barley. At that time Rainbow was the only place I could buy bread, crackers, cereal and a host of other things. This is now known as gluten free and has been picked up by mainstream grocery stores. I stayed true to Rainbow until they quit carrying the things I needed. They dropped gluten free and moved more to vegan. I don't like Whole Foods, so I go to Kroger (which I really hate) or order on line. When a store desserts its dedicated following...… what can I say?

Shop your local Piggly Wiggly!

Thanks 9:24 for sort of explaining to us what a gluten is. I've been hearing that word for about twenty years. I didn't know what it was. I only know two things: Somehow folks want to be 'free' of glutens. Second, when I was a kid we didn't have glutens. At least no one ever used the word.

Economics 101 tells us that if there was enough demand for this place and its products, they would not be closing. How difficult is that?

Note: Look for Dick's Sporting Goods to follow suit by this time next year. Everybody used to like Dicks and now nobody do.

Rankin County is really the promised land for any business. Low crime, higher incomes, and more cultured clientele. Jackson is a graveyard.

They will likely move out to Flowood or Brandon. Perhaps the might even open up off Spillway Rd in Brandon.

The demographic that primaarily utilize EBT in Jackson have no interest in overpriced organic food. They get a lot less bang for their 'benefits' at Rainbow.

In order for a business to really thrive you need paying customers. You also need customer that tip your waitstaff. That is Rankin County.

Years ago my office had a post office box at the postal facility on Fondren
Place directly behind the Rainbow Co-Op. In fact, when parking at the facility I had a direct view of the back door of the Rainbow. I checked our mail usually six days a week. Using my best estimate, I would say that I would see one or more Rainbow employees on break at least two days a week smoking cigarettes near the back door--sometimes more often depending on what time I arrived.

So much for healthy living.

I only ate at the cafe twice in my life and decided the cafe was not my cup of tea. However, it makes me sad whenever local businesses struggle financially. I wish these folks well.

Bravo to 4:34 p.m. - you made my day - hilarious!

Never been in Rainbow but as a lot of people have observed, the flooding issue was something they couldn't continue to live with - anyone who buys that building has a major problem and can find the news articles to prove it.

Now on to choices - Kroger (lots of organic), Whole Foods (you all might find this interesting, at recent lunch over there, I got to talking w/a woman who works in the deli (she and I ate at the same lovely wood table) and she proceeded to tell me how the majority of the bakery goods (sold as fresh made) and numerous other items (also billed as fresh made) are simply prepared and packaged somewhere else and brought in (come in by semi on the Alabama/Mississippi run); but some people weigh the quality of their food by the price.

Personally, living in Mississippi we have the advantage of farmers' markets - downtown, Gluckstadt, Hwy. 49 - Wrights, any number of places. So unfortunately, Rainbow is not one of a kind anymore. Everyone wants to eat healthy and any Mississippi Farmer I can buy from has my vote. Love me some Remington Farms. Point is - buy local and support our farmers.

The term "organic" has become a marketing ploy to mark up and class up foods and people are going nuts over it. Anyone in the farming or food sector knows this but wont say it because they are reaping the benefits. Put it in a low flash/granola looking package, call it organic, charge 3x's the price, rinse and repeat.

9:10 was the lovely wood table you were sitting at harvested from a sustainable forest? Did they have signs stating such? If not, they aren't practicing what they preach. Sometimes I think they spend more resources printing all the hoopla about their accolades of organic/fresh/sustainable than just having normal products.

Capitalism has fed more people than communism... always remember that... more rafts and boats leave Cuba for the Florida shore than leave Florida for Cuba. Look at Venezuela... average weight loss is 42 lbs per person due to lack of food. Dumpster diving for food. People come to this cou try bc it's an opportunity with capitalism. I feed Hungary in 1988 for the US. I swam 2 miles at 3 AM to escape. Americans are spoiled and hate capitalism bc they have never experienced socialism or communism.

True, true 9:34 a.m. No, no sign about coming from a sustainable forest, but that's kind of like the "art installation" over in the courtyard at Highland Village that is now simply a large homemade picnic table and benches in front of Talbots. Brings back "Steel Magnolias" - an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.

Now how would you describe that appetizing skim that forms on the top of the Whole Foods food on their buffet tables around lunch? No haters, you all know you've seen it.

KINGFISH - just love the pitiful Clarion Ledger coverage on Rainbow. Their sources: WAPT and Jackson Free Press.

Maybe it will become a chestaurant with lots of big tits and cold beer.

it's pretty clear that all the things that made Fondren "Funky Fondren" are steadily being replaced by typical crap. Rest in peace, Funky Fondren. You've been develop-ized.

9:42, Thank you. think we are so spoiled that we don't know what we have.

I’ve never been an organic food type person, but I really am sad to see another locally owned business close in Jackson. I wish the owners much success at their new location.

Just today (or yesterday according to my time stamp) I found myself leaving the steak counter at Madison Kroger 51, walking up the Free Range - Organic Aisle. Tons of interesting packaging but lots of bland colors. The Fondren crowd, preferring bland, doesn't like to be excited by happy colors and, yes, even Madison has its own knockoff of The Fondren crowd.

Never saw so much misleading BS printed on packaging, false claims, hoopla thrown out there at triple prices to impress the gentried Millsaps and Belhaven grads....and those with MC School of Law stickers on their BMWs in the parking lot. This crap has become the new Ramen Noodles and Lentils of the seventies.

lol @4:13's last sentence. Sounds about right.

just to clarify, organic means it contains carbon. So, gasoline is all organic, even if you add ethanol made from corn. Moose shit is also organic as are the linoleum floor tiles you are walking upon. I even saw all organic and gluten free on some vodka the other day in the liquor store. So the next time you are chewing on the end of a pencil, remember everything but the metal that holds the eraser on the wood is organic and really fucking good for you.

"I wish the owners much success at their new location."

Don't hold your breath on that one, Luther.