G&J Curbside: A Covid-19 Pivot in Morgan City

Established in a historic downtown building in 1964, G&J Land and Marine Food Distributers provides groceries and janitorial supplies to the offshore oil and gas industry. Three generations of the Lind family have built a reputation for service over the last six decades, helping them capture a strong market share. They gradually acquired more downtown buildings and now occupy an entire block. A new freezer facility is a few blocks away.

However the petroleum industry slowed down during the pandemic, and with it, the company’s supply and distribution business. Third-generation president Erik Lind dreamed up a Covid-19 “pivot” to serve the community and diversify revenue: G&J Curbside, a pick-up grocery service for consumers. “We responded to the community, and we responded fast,” said Lind. “I stayed up for three weeks and built a website.” Retail customers placed orders on the website and scheduled a contactless pick-up at G&J’s building.

G&J’s had always focused on quality and local foods—and this appealed to Curbside customers. For the first time, individual people had access to products from their USDA- and FDA-inspected facility. “People learned about our unique product mix,” said Lind. “We have local meats, seafood, and a focus on Louisiana products.”

The Curbside team develops meal kits, cocktail kits, and even cleaning kits. Lind started an alcohol department that carries many Louisiana brands. They support local producers like Cindy’s Almost Famous Roux—G&J was her first commercial distributor and designed a special “roux box” to ship Cindy’s products nationwide! Curbside has even expanded into events, like weddings and fundraisers.

While the Curbside business has tapered off since the height of the pandemic, Lind values it as a niche revenue stream. “I love Curbside because of the positive impact on cash flow.” Curbside customers pay at pick-up—there’s no invoicing or payment terms like for the industrial sector.

By Amanda Lanata, assistant director of Louisiana Main Street