The Fresh Market grows back to 160 stores

The Fresh Market has opened its second location in Carmel, Indiana, bringing the specialty grocer’s total store count back up to 160 across 22 states.

Located at 1392 S. Rangeline Rd., The Fresh Market’s store made its debut Wednesday on the site of a former Earth Fare, another better-for-you supermarket, that closed in January 2020. The new Carmel store, just over 29,000 square feet, anchors the Rangeline Crossing shopping center, along with a Walgreens drug store.

Greensboro, North Carolina-based The Fresh Market entered Carmel, a northern Indianapolis suburb, in 2005 with the opening of a store at 2490 E. 146th St., situated farther north toward Westfield. Overall, the natural and organic grocery chain operates five stores in Indiana, with the other locations in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville.

Most recently, The Fresh Market had opened a 24,000-square-foot store in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, at 4925 PGA Blvd., its 47th location in the state. When that store opened in April 2022, The Fresh Market reported it as the grocer’s 160th location. But earlier this year, the company closed its store in Wellington, Florida, bringing the chain back down to 159 stores before Wednesday’s opening in Carmel.

The grand opening of The Fresh Market's second store in Carmel marked the natural and organic grocer's fifth Indiana location. / Photo courtesy of The Fresh Market

The Carmel store’s grand opening event featured a “bread breaking” ceremony, vendor samples, specialty presentations, giveaways and drawings. The Fresh Market said the store will offer special deals and promotions throughout Memorial Day weekend.

“We’re proud to expand in the Carmel community and provide guests with an inspired, unique shopping experience that will pique the interest of food lovers,” The Fresh Market CEO Jason Potter said in a statement. “Our team has worked hard to create a store that not only offers the freshest and highest-quality products, but also provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for our guests.”

Along with a broad assortment of fresh produce, meat, seafood and bakery items, the new Carmel store serves up a wide variety of prepared foods, headlined by a center-store culinary kitchen dubbed “The Square.” The made-to-order food station offers hot soup, customizable burrito bowls and wraps, torta and Cuban sandwiches, and build-your-own salads, plus in-house-made hot foods such as roasted salmon, slow-roasted pulled pork with signature sauce, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, fried chicken and hot side dishes. Coffee drinkers also can enjoy unique and curated flavors, including seasonal blends, at The Fresh Market’s $0.99 Coffee by the Cup station.

Other highlights of the store, open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., include a large gourmet cheese section, a selection of wines, a full-service floral department, and online grocery pickup and delivery service. Shoppers, too, can sign up for The Fresh Market’s The Ultimate Loyalty Experience free rewards program, which provides member-only offers, digital coupons and access to “The Club Hub,” a purchase-frequency offering in which customers can earn free items or discounts on favorite items.

Last year’s opening of the Palm Beach Gardens store marked the premiere of The Square foodservice concept, billed by the retailer as a “new and unique sensory experience” and a “destination for epicurean discovery.” The in-store dining experience reflects the layout of The Fresh Market’s Greensboro flagship store, which reopened in October 2021 following an upgrade.