‘European market’ experience coming to the Northland

The Fresh Market is coming to the Northland in early 2016.

The Greensboro, N.C.-based specialty grocery store chain has signed a lease for a 19,395-square-foot space in the Shoppes at Shoal Creek, at Missouri 152 and Flintlock Road.

The Fresh Market Inc., which was founded in 1982, is a high-growth specialty retailer focusing on fresh, premium perishables and other high-quality food products. The publicly traded company currently operates 172 stores in 27 states, including a location in Overland Park that opened in mid-2013.

The grocer wants its customers to have a “European market” experience so the stores have soft lighting, antiques, wood floors and wood display counters, including bookshelves stocked with snack chips. Green-and-white striped canopies hang over the meat and bakery departments in back and classical music plays overhead.

A deli counter holds center court. There’s also a floral department that will make custom gift baskets, including ones with Fresh Market’s own branded food items. The stores have a soup and salad bar, an olive bar, and a bulk candy aisle selling everything from buttered popcorn Jelly Belly candies to chocolate covered cherries.

The bakeries produce a variety of different breads daily and more than a dozen different pies, along with such items as a molten lava cake and salted caramel chocolate tarts. A full-service meat counter offers such items as freshly ground beef and kabobs ready for the grill.

The Northland store will have about 90 employees.

Nuts and Bolts for Kearney

Nuts and Bolts, a locally owned True Value hardware chain, plans a September opening for its new Kearney store, at Sixth and Jefferson.

Nuts and Bolts was founded in 2008 with an Overland Park location and the company now has several stores in the metro and surrounding areas.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 1:00 AM with the headline "‘European market’ experience coming to the Northland."