NEWS

Organic grocery chain Lucky's Market coming to Iowa City

Aly Brown
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Lucky's Market, a Boulder, Colo.-based organic and natural foods grocery chain, will open in Iowa City Marketplace next spring, company officials said Thursday.

Lucky’s Market, a Boulder-Colo.-based organic and natural foods grocery chain will come to the Iowa City Marketplace in spring 2015.

Ben Friedland, creative manager for Lucky's Market, said Iowa City will be the fifth location opening in the coming year — alongside Bloomington, Ind.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Rock Hill, Mo.; and Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Friedland said the company's mantra is "good food for all."

"We want to be able to bring it more to the masses, and sometimes there is this perception out there that natural and organic food cannot be affordable, so we are out there to kind of change that perception to let people know it can be affordable," he said.

The 34,000-square-foot store will bring about 200 jobs to the Iowa City area, he said.

Iowa City Marketplace vice president John Arlotti said the grocery store will be located in the space formerly occupied by Von Maur.

"I am excited because I love their concept. I have visited many of their stores, They are great people to work with. They have great products, and it's just a perfect fit for Iowa City," he said.

Ninety-percent of the market's offerings will be natural and organic, Friedland said, with the other 10 percent conventional items such as Campbell's soup and Coca-Cola products.

Friedland said the store is known for its:

  • Beer and wine selection.
  • Quality produce, most of which is grown in the United States.
  • "Never ever meats," which have never been given antibiotics or growth hormones.
  • Handmade sausages and house-butchered meats.
  • Ready-to-eat meals.
  • And juice bars offering fresh-squeezed juices.

Lucky's Market sources many of its fresh foods locally, Friedland said, and the company is beginning conversations with local producers to provide their products.

"We're not just about being in a community, but being a part of a community and local is one way we can do that," he said.

Lucky's Market also hosts community-giving days; Bags for Change, where customers using reusable bags are given a 10 cent credit they can keep or donate to a local nonprofit, which the store will match; and 5 percent days, where 5 percent of the store's total proceeds are donated to a local organization.

Friedland said the store will host cooking classes targeted at local interests, including gluten-free and healthful living diets.

Arlotti said Lucky's Market will be one of several national and regional tenants coming to the marketplace in the coming year, which will add an estimated $30 million in retail sales to the area. The names of the new tenants will be made public over the next few months, he said.

Arlotti said major renovations to the former Sycamore Mall will begin in the next 30 to 60 days. Storefronts will face the parking lot, and a soft children's play area will be added indoors to create a "social place" for families near and far to visit.

"We're basically de-malling it," he said.

Reach reporter Aly Brown at abrown11@press-citizen.com or 887-5404.