Hill East Market Helps Supply your Cupboard

A design of what will be the storefront sign at The Cupboard. Photo courtesy Brian Campbell.

In the last six months, The Cupboard, a convenience store located at the corner of East Capitol and 15th Street, has been building a quiet following among Hill East neighbors, especially for those in need of life’s necessities: bread, milk, and beer.

But for some, the store can be easily missed because the market is missing one key identifier — a storefront sign. That will change next week, said Brian Campbell, co-owner of The Cupboard.

The Cupboard’s sign will be delivered on Friday and installed soon after, building on a series of renovations spearheaded by Campbell and co-owner and wife, Mary Ann Brazell.

The couple oversees the management of the store and its employees, and they find time to raise four kids, evenly dispersed in age: 2, 4, 6, and 8, all while working two day jobs.

On certain days, the store is a full-time family affair. During a busy Sunday, Campbell relied on the addition and subtraction skills of his daughter to give customers their change.

Many customers know the store's co-owners, Brian Campbell (pictured left) and Mary Ann Brazell (not pictured) by first name. Photo by Tim Ebner.

“This is kind of like a hobby,” Campbell said. “We are trying to add the convenience of being a neighborhood place. In many ways the store is a microcosm of Capitol Hill. We offer a variety of diverse items to a diverse range of people.”

Campbell and his wife moved to Capitol Hill 15 years ago. Their family lives in a rowhome just a few blocks from the market, and the couple first moved there by renting the home’s English basement.

The husband and wife team said they were interested in serving communities underserved by healthy food options and considered locations across the Anacostia River before finding a space in their neighborhood.

“We wanted to do something different and serve what’s known as urban food deserts,” Brazell said. “We decided on the market by our house because we knew the community well.”

Since the couple took over, the store has been gradually phasing out junk food. For approximately 20 years, the space was a convenience store serving a wide range of sweets, and a lot of sticky buns, Brazell said. But within the last few months, the couple has made several changes.

While you can still find a selection of potato chips and candy bars, The Cupboard has also introduced gourmet cheeses, fresh produce, and baked bread, delivered daily from Catania Bakery, a bakery located on North Capitol Street.

The couple plans to build out the store with further renovations. In the coming months, they hope to add a kitchen, which would serve sandwiches. And recently, they installed a coffee bar, featuring Green Mountain Coffee roasts.

Rather than take a short drive or long walk to neighboring grocery stores, like Safeway and Harris Teeter, Campbell said customers are turning the corner to find a variety of different items.

“We are trying to cater to and respect neighbors’ needs,” Campbell said. “People across the spectrum appreciate what we are trying to do here.”

And, in the warmer spring and summer months, The Cupboard opens up its front patio on specific weekends to a frozen Popsicle stand, Hill Pops.

As the store grows and new products are added, Campbell said the customers play a key role in deciding what goes on the shelves. In recent months, the store began carrying more craft and specialty beers at the request of neighbors.

“If people ask, we will try to get it in here,” he said.

Do you have suggestions on what The Cupboard should stock? Submit your ideas in the comment section of this blog post for the store’s owners to see…