The Fresh Market strives to make the most basic things extraordinary

Kathleen Kill doesn’t think she shops at The Fresh Market too often. When she considers the question longer, though, she realizes she does make the drive from her home on the other side of State Line about once a week.

Kill is fond of the specialty burgers and brioche buns.

“There’s a real meat department,” she says. “A lot of grocery stores you go in it’s all packaged — being able to talk to (the butchers) makes a difference.”

The Fresh Market, located next to the new Prairiefire complex in Overland Park, opened in the fall of 2013. Creating the difference is the store’s mission, summed up by manager Shannon Curran; the employees, she says, ask themselves daily: “How can we make the most basic thing extraordinary?”

Curran relocated her family from Cleveland to run the Overland Park location. She said this spot was chosen by corporate because, judging by the nature of the surrounding restaurants, the community is viewed as appreciative of good food.

The market is a feast for the senses. The sound of a concerto greets customers, the smell of fresh flowers wafts through the air and the bulk bins and candy jars nearly hop off the shelf because they’re so vibrantly colorful.

Almost humorously, a wide ledge above the produce holds a full bookshelf and a desk with a manual typewriter. The desk chair is pulled away as if the writer has just taken a snack break. Maybe he needed a cold carrot.

The sense of taste is satisfied, too. Customers are encouraged to buy a cup of coffee for a dollar and ask for samples of any food item.

Curran is aware of her store’s proximity to Sprouts, Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, all shops that appear similar. But, she says, “We’re a unique store — our variety and employees make it that way. Our mix is different so we don’t directly compete.”

“We’re all foodies,” Curran says of her staff. They specifically hire people who love cooking and eating and are able to talk about this particular passion with customers. “We want people to experience food, not just eat it.”

The buyer’s focus is on quality, not necessarily organic, and not necessarily local, according to Curran. The meat department, as Kill pointed out, is more the exception than the rule; the beef is ground daily in the store and comes from within a 100-mile radius.

The chicken is shipped from a 300-acre farm in Georgia and is free-range. Produce is sometimes local, depending on the season.

Customer Julie Groshong makes the trek from Louisburg weekly. She enjoys the variety of items The Fresh Market keeps in stock, which seems different from other stores: the olive bar, the assortment of breads, the deli.

Speaking of specialty items, Curran is proud to be the only chain nationwide that sells edible raw cookie dough by Cookie Dough Café, a hot item that’s received a lot of attention on Twitter recently.

The store supports two charities with annual fundraisers. They raise money for The No Kid Hungry Foundation with an art contest — area children submit art to appear on a reusable bag. Proceeds from the bags are donated to the fund.

They also support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation through a fall cookout in the store parking lot.

The staff of 90 is trained in-house and most are local hires. The store aims to be a part of and a service to the community that has welcomed it.

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM with the headline "The Fresh Market strives to make the most basic things extraordinary."