FRAMINGHAM: An upscale grocery chain, focusing on local produce and prepared foods, as well as wine, craft beers and spirits, wants to open in Framingham.
The Fresh market wants to move into the space previously occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond on Route 9 East in Framingham.
Owned by Cencosud, The Fresh Market website stated: “The Fresh Market, Inc. has helped guests make everyday dining extraordinary with time-saving dining solutions, unique ingredients, and delicious food for any occasion. . From fresh produce and exceptional meat and seafood to signature baked goods and thousands of organic options, this specialty grocery retailer has something to please every palate.”
When it comes to ready meals, the Hingham store offers a “TrAdditional Holiday Meal: Serves 8-10. Includes: Cooked Turkey (10-12 lbs.), Yukon Gold Whipped Potatoes, Traditional Herb Stuffing, Homemade Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Pecan Relish, and Soft Golden Rolls. $99.99 (starting at $10 per person).”
Started in 1982, The Fresh Market today “operates 160 stores in 22 states across the US, inspiring guests to discover new flavors and cook with confidence.”
In May 2022, the Chilean retail company Cencosud acquired a 67% stake in The Fresh Market.
The first Massachusetts location is open in Hingham, a second location is underway in Mansfield, with Framingham being the company’s third possible Commonwealth location.
The fresh produce market will go before the Framingham Licensing Commission on Monday evening, November 21, seeking a full license for alcoholic beverages, said attorney Adam Barnosky, former chairman of the Framingham Licensing Commission.
Fresh Market would join a growing grocery market in Framingham-Natick with Whole Foods, Aldi, Wegmans, an Amazon Fresh offering for Shoppers World, along with Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop, Roche Bros and Market Basket.
About the fresh market
After returning from a trip to Europe, The Fresh Market founders Ray Berry and his wife Beverly were inspired to bring the charm and essence of a European-style open food market to America. They wanted to offer a more intimate and personalized shopping experience than the popular warehouse type supermarkets at the time.
Leaving their job at The Southland Co. overseeing 3,600 7-Eleven stores, the Berrys invested their life savings in their dream: creating a warm and inviting shopping experience filled with the freshest produce, meats hand-carved by butchers in the store, fresh products. cut flowers and the best foods and ingredients from around the world.
While searching for the perfect place to make their dream come true, the Berrys fell in love with the quaint community of Greensboro, North Carolina.
On March 5, 1982, the first The Fresh Market store in Greensboro opened on Lawndale Drive, where a store still stands. Everything about this small specialty boutique grocery store was designed to enhance the grocery shopping experience.
The initial 14,000-square-foot store differentiated itself from conventional supermarkets with a farmer’s market atmosphere, complete with locally grown produce, bins of freshly roasted coffee, an old-world-style butcher and fish market, in-store bakery, fresh cheeses and sausages, and flower stalls.
The original store became the model for other locations to follow. Today, with 160 locations in 22 states, The Fresh Market remains committed to our original values of providing guests with fresh and inspiring food to make every day eating extraordinary.
courtesy photos
