History of Better Thymes Natural Foods
 
Front Royal, Virginia had everything: clean air, beautiful mountains, the Appalachian Trail, the Shenandoah River, and peace and quiet... it was a nature lovers dream. The only thing it did not have at the time was a place where granola and tofu could be easily acquired and a vegetarian could eat without having to travel far from home. Thus, Better Thymes Natural Foods was born.
In 1980, Better Thymes opened its doors and started offering healthy foods to the public. Owner, Denise de la Montaigne started out on South Royal Avenue in Front Royal in a tiny 500 square foot space. She, herself, was the only employee. The positive response to the store was overwhelming and in just three short years Better Thymes moved to a new location double the size of the old. This location, the first floor of a house, was only a half of a block down the street from the original but the difference in exposure, setting, parking and atmosphere was monumental. The store continued to thrive over the next seven years with new products, categories and whole sections being added all the time. The store now had a staff of three and they were kept busy Monday through Saturday helping customers.
In 1990, Better Thymes doubled its size once more and moved to the Royal Plaza Shopping Center. Now offering an even wider variety of natural foods and supplements the success of the store continued. Granola and tofu were not just for “health nuts” and vegetarians anymore. Healthier foods were becoming a common household staple and the demand for more variety raged on. Meeting these demands, Denise expanded once more in 1998 to it’s current, largest location.
Better Thymes now occupies 2,400 square foot of space with an inventory that could easily spread out in a store three times that size. Every square inch of space is utilized so that more and more product can be kept in stock. Keeping sight of the old and introducing new products every week has helped keep Better Thymes a progressive, successful store. From a tiny business with one employee to the thriving corporation it is now, with employees ranging in the double digits and sales at an all time high, the success of the store remains strong and the selling of granola and tofu lives on.

As owner/manager of Better Thymes Natural Foods, Denise has a busy schedule. "I feel so fortunate to go to work each day that it never seems like a chore", says Denise. "My staff is fantastic and our customers are the best around.  Being involved in such a vibrant enterprise is exciting and I am proud of the selection we offer at Better Thymes". Better Thymes is a member of the Natural Products Association and Denise is President of the East Region of the NPA. 

A familiar face at Better Thymes, Carol has been an integral part of the store for the past 20 years.  If there is a task to be done, Carol can accomplish it.  But BT is only her day job; she also is a 6 Dan Rokyu blackbelt in karate and teaches womens' karate classes in the evenings.

Mary is a veteran in the natural products industry and a faithful employee at Better Thymes Natural Foods for the past 15 years. She is our inspiration and motivation and a true icon of a healthy lifestyle. Mary has a smile for everyone and brings out the best in us all.

Our newest addition to the staff has just finished her one year mark at BT.  Cadyn came to us with previous experience in natural foods retailing in her home state of Georgia, as well as years of personal interest and education. She is a talented artist, with the soul of a farmer, and recently married and settled in Virginia.