Team

The desire to create together was something we wanted to do for years. As brother and sister, we always knew we had complementary skills. Even though our lives took us in different directions we eventually joined forces to put into play all the skills we picked up along our different journeys. The idea to open The Boxcar Grocer was something that emerged after an emotional  loss of 165 acres of rural land that had been in our family for generations.

After months of research and planning, we had a formal business plan. By the time we opened our doors at the end of October 2011, it was even more exciting than we envisioned. What we thought was a good idea between the two of us ended up being a call for neighborhood revitalization and support for farming that resonated throughout south Atlanta. Word has been spreading ever since.

Alphonzo Cross | After completing an undergraduate degree in mass communications at the University of Denver, Alphonzo went on to get his master’s in film and video at the Academy of Art College, He spent over 13 years working a career that involved advertising, nightclub management, and fashion retail in San Francisco at stores such as Ted Baker, Bloomingdale’s, and Diesel. However, his management of Vessel and, more recently, the wine bar Press Club in San Francisco most influenced how we approached structuring The Boxcar Grocer experience.

Alison Cross | With a liberal arts architecture degree from Barnard College and study at Academy of Art studying film and video, Alison’s background led to jobs in creative places such as TBWA\Chiat Day, Feldman Architecture, The San Francisco Foundation and the University of California Berkeley. Brief experiences working fashion retail at MaxMara and Ann Taylor rounded out the necessary skills to set out on the adventure to open our own store.