You’re chilling at home on a weeknight and suddenly want some Pringles, but don’t feel like driving all the way to the grocery store. Or maybe you need to do laundry and there’s no detergent. Or it’s morning and you realize there’s no coffee. The Standard Social Market wants to help downtown Huntsville residents with such scenarios.
The Standard’s owners, married couple Erick and Stephanie Luther, aim to bring New York bodega-style convenience and variety to the 35801 zip code. Tentatively planned to open the weekend of Oct. 8, The Standard will be at 127 Holmes Avenue, on the same block Moe’s Original BBQ, Stella’s Elixir Lounge and La Esquina Cocina.
“There’s never been anything done like this down here,” Stephanie says during my recent visit to The Standard’s 3,500-square-foot space. “I’ve wanted to do this for forever, but downtown Huntsville hasn’t been ready for it until now. There’s so much foot traffic, so many more restaurants and something always going on at the VBC (Von Braun Center). Plus, you’ve got all these apartments and hotels going in. I think we’re hitting that sweet spot.”
In addition to basics like snacks, sodas, paper towels, toilet paper, sugar and milk, The Standard will offer gourmet cheeses, chocolates, craft beer and wine. They hope to stock local products too, like baked goods and vegan desserts. “We don’t,” Stephanie says, “want to necessarily think of ourselves as competition for anybody but as collaboration.”
The Standard will also boast a butcher section, selling steaks, meatballs, fresh fish, scallops, oysters, etc. Stephanie says after working nine years with elite local restaurants - she in marketing/events and Erick as chef - they’ve made strong purveyor connections.
“In restaurants, you expect your seafood to be fresh, right?” Stephanie says. “Well, when you’re shopping to take it home, you always wonder if you’re getting that same quality product. That’s where we come in.”
Beyond grab and go, The Standard wants to be a destination. There will be a full bar with local beers on tap and a café serving hot food. Expect classic breakfast items like biscuits and gravy, bacon and eggs and pancakes. “I’m bringing in New York bagels, fresh every week,” Stephanie says.
The lunch menu will be oriented around sandwiches (with ingredients like house-made pastrami and breads), fresh soups and burgers. Entrees too, like shrimp and grits. At dinner the emphasis shifts to bar food like, charcuterie boards and oysters. On weekends they’ll do a late-night menu, served through the space’s front window. Tacos, hotdogs, that kind of thing. They’ve already been catering, including a gig for a Porsche event, and plan to do more at their private dining space upstairs, across from Stella’s.
The Standard will seat around 40 people inside. The décor features exposed brick, columns, blue walls and hardwood floors. A front patio will hold another 15 guests or so.
Stephanie anticipates a staff of six or so for the kitchen and around eight for front-of-house. For hours, they’re thinking 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8. p.m. Sunday.
The Luthers are from El Paso, Texas and have known each other since high school. They got together a little later, then lived in Austin, Texas while Erick was attending culinary school. The couple moved to Huntsville around 15 years ago or so. Prior to working with restaurants, Stephanie worked in the defense industry, where she did marketing, business development, NASA contracts, etc.
During his youth, Erick worked for his family’s construction business. He got into cooking at an early age through his mom, Rachel Avila. “I was raised in her kitchen,” Erick says. “She had a full time job, and then she would come home and we would make tamales and tortillas. We’d sell them on the street. It was way before Facebook, just neighborhood word of mouth.” As Erick got older, he got restaurant jobs doing dishes and prep. In Austin, he worked at a place called Crave.
Stephanie recalls a business near Erick’s old Austin apartment that was similar to how she wants The Standard to be. She cites Parker’s Market in Savannah, Ga. as another inspiration.
After his run with luxe Huntsville restaurants, Erick is ready to downshift to simpler fare for The Standard. “Stuff that everybody can relate to,” he says. “You’ll have your staples, but I’m not gonna paint us in a corner. If we want to do some lasagna, I just want to leave it open. I think people are going away from the crazy menus. They’re wanting smaller and good, rather than lots of choices and decent.”
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