The Fresh Market announces grand opening date for newest Manatee County grocery store
After word got out last October that The Fresh Market would fill the Bradenton-area grocery space formerly occupied by Earth Fare and Winn-Dixie, the opening date came quickly.
The Fresh Market announced Monday that it will be opening its 162nd store and third in Manatee County at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, at 11525 S.R. 70 E., Lakewood Ranch.
Planned is music by concert cellist Steve Kramer, giveaways, demonstrations and food sampling throughout the store. The first 500 customers will receive customized The Fresh Market Lakewood Ranch reusable shopping bags.
Other grand opening activities include a “bread breaking” ceremony, cracking of a 95-pound Reggiano Parmesan cheese wheel and sampling at 9 a.m. and a check presentation to Feeding Tampa Bay, a nonprofit food relief organization.
The Lakewood Ranch location will be the ninth The Fresh Market store providing weekly food donations to the food bank to help feed people facing hunger.
The Fresh Market announces grand opening
Features of the new store include:
▪ In-house smoked pit barbecue, featuring fresh brisket, ribs and pork. The Fresh Market smokes its brisket overnight for a minimum of 12 hours over locally sourced wood.
▪ Hot and fresh pizza.
▪ Large variety of scooping salads, olive bar and soup station.
▪ Full and self-service coffee stations offering a variety of drink options.
▪ Coffee bar adjacent to the full- and self-service station with iced and hot coffees, lattes, mochas, hot tea and smoothies.
▪ Wide variety of bakery dessert options within the brand-new bakery walk-around case.
▪ An expanded craft beer selection that includes local offerings.
The grand opening ceremony and welcome will be by Scott North, The Fresh Market vice president, and Todd Kerscher, regional manager.
New Lakewood Ranch grocery store
The store is the newest anchor of The Green at Lakewood Ranch shopping center, home also to Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill, Fuego Comida and Tequila, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Starbucks, So Fresh and more.
The Fresh Market also has Manatee County stores at 6701 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, which opened in 2012, and 5251 University Parkway, which opened in 2008.
Ray and Beverly Berry opened their first Fresh Market in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1982.
For more information about the company visit https://www.TheFreshMarket.com.
This story was originally published April 15, 2024 at 5:34 PM.
