North Texas Daily

A small market storefront sits amongst the array of businesses that overlook campus on Fry Street. Its shelves contain a variety of eco-friendly products, ranging from cheeses to jewelry, while art created by local university students adorn the shop’s walls.

Mashup Market is a vegan specialty grocer and deli created by Denton resident Cherie Reed. Reed went vegetarian in 2003 before going fully vegan about seven years later. She opened the market after sitting on the idea of it for around a decade. Every product within the store is vegan and environmentally friendly.

The deli section of Mashup Market, where customers can sit down and enjoy freshly-made food, is located right off the front door on April 8, 2023. MaKenzie Givan

“We have a number of products that can’t be found anywhere else,” Reed said.

Approximately 90 percent or more of the products in the store are from small vendors, Reed said. She said while Mashup Market carries a few name brand items for the sake of customers’ convenience, the business’ main focus lies in the one-on-one relationships curated with small vendors.

“When you think of farm to table, people talk about understanding the lineage or the path that the food took to get to the table,” Reed said. “We’re sort of a different spin on that. I not only taste every product that goes into the store and this deli, I know the majority of the vendors. If you have a question, […] a majority of the time I can simply send a text directly to that maker. There’s nowhere else I know of [where] you can do that.”

Reed originally opened shop on Oak Street in April 2020 before opening a satellite location within Aura Coffee in May 2021. She then landed on Mashup Market’s present Fry Street location three months later. Reed said she chose the location for the store due to its student demographic.

“We have a generation that is interested in the environment and the impact we’re having on it,” Reed said. “We also have a very diverse international student community, and so that brings with it various diet types, specifically vegetarian and vegan.”

Mashup Market has products that are free of dairy, gluten, soy, nut and other allergens. Old Lake Highlands resident and customer Megan Varian visited the store in early April. Varian said she is severely lactose intolerant and can’t eat any dairy, including products claiming to be lactose-free.

Karl Shewry, the owner of Great Galettes Crepes and Catering, covers a crepe with cheesecake flavoring on April 8, 2023. MaKenzie Givan

She heard about the market at a wine tasting event she attended with her husband and decided to pay it a visit. Varian said she was thrilled to be able to eat the shop’s food.

“We walked in and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can eat everything,’” Varian said.

In addition to food, Mashup Market stocks other environmentally friendly products as well. Other products include tarot cards, clothing, jewelry and more.

Reed said this is where the term “mashup” included in the store’s name is derived from, as it refers to how things that are different can still find common ground and mesh together. 

“There’s multiple different ways we can do [plant-based products],” Reed said. “With clothing, with food, with snacks, with jewelry, with deli sandwiches, with wines, with art. So, a collection of things with something in common.”

Reed’s mom, who works as a Mashup Market cashier, is recognized as a staple of the store. Reed said she acts as a sort of grandmother to many of the university students that frequent the shop.

“When [the students] are gone for spring break, they come back and they say hello just to visit with her,” Reed said. “Not even as customers, just to talk to her.”

A sense of community within Mashup Market has been felt by both Reed and her customers. University alumna and Krum resident Daniella Fontana started out as a customer, but later became friends with Reed as she began to visit the store more often.

“I know Cherie really well and Cherie’s mom because I come in here, and I know some of her customers because [Cherie’s] like the hub of a community,” Fontana said. “I love the personal [connections], the community and the products.”

Reed considers Mashup Market to be a continuous resource for both vegans and non-vegans alike.

“The goals have been consistent: to have a unique or great vegan offering,” Reed said. “One of the biggest pieces of the overall goal statement is to be a gateway for others. So people that are generally daily or lifelong meat eaters [can] just try the food, be exposed to it, and see how great it can be. Even one less meal [of meat] or one less day is better for their health, the environment and the animal.”

Featured Image Mashup Market owner Cherie Reed smiles behind the front counter on April 8, 2023. MaKenzie Givan