who we are

Our Mission

To curate and supply the highest quality local products to our neighborhood, families and friends.  We want to bring our passion for superior quality products and customer service to your table.

ABOUT GRUBS

Grubs Market started like many good ideas; around a table full of delicious food, hot off the grill at a family dinner. The idea grew during many family meals, gathered around the table with good food, drink, and people. The idea came from the idea of wanting to have all of our favorite things in one place-to make the idea and purpose of “gathering” easy and fun. The name Grubs was a natural fit as Susanne and Daniel grew up with their grandfather calling them “Grubs.” A term of endearment that they still remember fondly. What better way to honor his memory and keep this family legacy alive than in a market that will house some of the best Grub one can find.

As the men in the family who love to do the cooking, especially if the grill is involved, it was natural to have a market with meat as the feature. However, the women in our lives were not going to let us get away with only serving meat, as they like the finer finishes with their meal. They encouraged us to give the community a “one-stop-shop”  that could offer provisions for elaborate parties or to furnish grab-and-go dinners for families on the run on weeknights. With an affinity for good wine with food, having a well-curated wine selection was a must. With that, the foundation of Grubs Market functions as family-owned purveyors of good meat, cheeses, prepared foods, wine and gifts. We hope you love it as much as we do.

OUR FOUNDING STORY

Passion for quality flavors and food inspired Daniel Stribling and Robert Turner to introduce unique tastes to our local community. Growing up in California, Robert learned to love cuisine that drew influence from the fusion of a multitude of cultures. The spices and flavors mixed exotic elements from all around the world. In his travels during school and work, he tasted food that was richly ingrained in the cultures of the countries and locations he visited.

After working as a professional chef in Montana, Daniel realized the restaurant he was working at lacked a connection with its customers. Daniel was inspired to share his love of food directly with his customers and community to improve and enrich their experience. He knew he wanted to bring this concept to his hometown back East.

 Gainesville, the poultry capital of the world, has a vast, diverse agricultural community. Buzz words like local sustainability are often used, but the reality is that true farm-to-table is not available in our local area without a lot of driving. The goal of Grubs Market is to bring local resources to one place. Our local farmers have amazing offerings that are not well-publicized, and we want to help that change.

Our market research involved a lot of taste testing. We discovered that great, natural, and sustainable food from your local area is better and healthier for you than the big box commodity foods. Your taste buds will thank you!

Daniel and Robert have worked hard to forge friendships and relationships with local farms that pride themselves on raising livestock without hormones, pesticides, or any other unnatural processes. The result is better products, better tastes, and healthy foods.

The name for the market, Grubs, came from a term of endearment that Daniel’s grandfather often used for his grandchildren, “Grubs.” Daniel’s grandfather came to Gainesville in 1956 to be a part of a community, and start his medical practice. Many family meals were shared at Daniel’s grandparents’ home, as food often brings a family together. This term of endearment, Grubs, just encapsulated family tradition, community spirit, and the love of food and gathering. Plus, who doesn’t love to Grub Out?

Meet DANIEL STRIBLING

Born and raised in Gainesville, Daniel discovered his passion for food at a young age while helping his mother cook. Little did he realize it would become a passion in his life. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2009, Daniel moved to Bozeman Montana, often cooking for 300 people a night. He soon realized this lacked the intimacy and connection with the customer that he was expecting, but never let go of his passion for cooking and great farm fresh products.

Upon moving back to Gainesville, Daniel held several different positions as an estimator in the mechanical business, inventory specialist in Orthopedics, and most recently compliance manager in the petroleum industry. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Daniel began to reassess his career path as he realized he needed to pursue his passion.

Reflecting back, he never lost his passion for food. The pandemic offered extra time to perfect oatmeal and brownie cookies, and experiment in the kitchen with his mother’s cookbooks. It was through a conversation with his brother-in-law, Robert, that they realized they could meld Daniel’s passion into a business that still maintained an intimate customer focused business that Daniel thought had been lacking previously. Thus, in the summer of 2021 Grubs was born.

As co-founder, Daniel runs the day-to-day operations for Grubs. Daniel strives daily to let his passion for people and food show in every fabric of Grubs. Daniel, his wife Carolyn, their son Wright, and dog Max, reside in Gainesville and will often be spotted lending a helping hand at Grubs.  

Meet ROBERT TURNER

Robert was born and raised a little bit of everywhere, but if you meet him he will claim California and Georgia. Born in California, he has resided in Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Virginia. He attended college at Whittier, in Los Angeles. Upon graduation, he moved to Atlanta for a job at the FDA. Since that time Robert’s career has stayed in the medical healthcare sector. Robert and Susanne (Daniel’s sister) met in Atlanta, married and moved to Gainesville in 2013-a return home for Susanne and a new beginning for Robert. For those of you who know Robert, he rarely sits still. In college in LA he was known to surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon. However, he was drawn to the community feel of Gainesville and loved that his wife still had relationships with her high school friends. While a small town takes some adjusting to, it has really grown on him. As has the idea of building something that serves his community and becomes a staple that his kids will remember as they grow up. Robert has an entrepreneurial spirit and loves the idea of starting something new, and like Daniel he loves to cook, and eat! The family joke is that Robert will never miss a family meal, and you better make extra if he’s coming. Robert also has a palette for good wine. With many trips to Napa, and an avid member of wine clubs, he is excited to be able to offer the community some new wines, favorite wines, at a variety of price points. His favorite mission is finding the best bottle that doesn’t break the bank.

Like Daniel, the pandemic gave Robert some time to slow down and reflect on what was important. Instead of traveling for work and having business dinners out, he found himself at home more, on the grill and in the kitchen. He realized that being able to grow something that fueled creativity was energizing. While Robert will continue his work in the healthcare sector and will be the entrepreneurial investor, you will still find his taste, flavor and passion at Grubs.

Robert, his wife Susanne, children Hudson and Lucy, and two dogs reside here in Gainesville and if you stop by Grubs you are likely to see one of them!

Meet NATALIE ERTZBERGER

Meet our floor manager!

Natalie is a native of Gainesville, GA and was raised in Flowery Branch. She loves the growing community and working near the square. From keeping the shelves stocked, preparing for events, and getting to know each customer, Natalie can help you with just about anything at Grubs Market!

If you have a question or think of a product you'd love to see in our market, reach out to natalie@grubsmarket.com .

Meet the Grubs Ladies

(Left-to-right) Susanne Turner, Jaime Stribling & Carolyn Stribling are the incredible ladies behind the success of the market. The selection of homegoods, decor and the layout of the market is heavily influenced by their classic tastes. Susanne & Carolyn not only select the best homegood products, but also make sure all our wine tasting events are successful. Jaime oversees our "Grubs Garden". She hand-selects and home-grows beautiful orchids and flowers to keep the market well-stocked and beautiful. The ladies are also the leading force of our gift basket selection and fulfillment.