EXPERIENCE THE FOOD

We've been delivering a fresh take on grocery shopping for more than 35 years.

Our History

After returning from a trip to Europe, Ray Berry and his wife Beverly were inspired to bring the charm and essence of an open, European-style food market to America. They wanted to offer a more intimate and personalized shopping experience than the warehouse-type supermarkets popular at the time.

Leaving his job at The Southland Co. overseeing 3,600 7-Eleven stores, the Berry’s poured their life savings into their dream: creating a warm and inviting shopping experience filled with the freshest produce, meats hand-trimmed by butchers in-store, fresh-cut flowers, and the finest foods and ingredients from around the world.

While searching for the ideal place to make their dream a reality, the Berry’s fell in love with the quaint community of Greensboro, North Carolina. On March 5, 1982, the first The Fresh Market store opened in Greensboro on Lawndale Drive, where a store still stands today. Everything about this small, boutique specialty grocery store was designed to enhance the food shopping experience.

The initial 14,000-square-foot store differentiated itself from conventional supermarkets with a farmer’s market atmosphere, complete with locally-grown produce, bins of freshly roasted coffee, an old-world style butcher shop and fish market, in-store bakery, fresh cheeses and cured meats, and floral stands.

The original store became the blueprint for other locations to follow. Today, with 161 locations in 22 states, The Fresh Market is still committed to our original values of providing guests with inspiring, fresh food to make everyday eating extraordinary.

The Fresh Market Today

The Fresh Market is a destination for those looking to discover the best including convenient, restaurant-quality meals, hand-picked produce, premium baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, custom-cut meats and carefully curated offerings for holidays and special occasions.

The intimate and personalized shopping experience that is still offered today is enhanced with team members who are a hallmark of The Fresh Market providing exceptional hospitality. The Fresh Market Code of Conduct is designed to support our efforts to meet the needs of our guests and guide our performance.

We're proud that USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards recognized The Fresh Market for three years in a row as the “Best Grocery Store in America”, and voted us #1 in three categories for 2024: "Best Grocery Store Bakery", "Best Grocery Store Deli" and "Best Grocery Store Prepared Foods".

Our Mission

We inspire our guests to make everyday eating extraordinary.

Our Vision

We will be the premier fresh-focused specialty food retailer known for our carefully curated product offerings and for delivering an unparalleled shopping experience, inspiring our guests to try new products, entertain and cook with confidence and assemble easy meals.

1PASSION

We're passionate about sharing our love of food and the way it brings people together. We enjoy working together and bring a positive energy, commitment and attitude to work every day.

2EXCELLENCE

We strive for excellence in everything we do. We set high standards and clear goals, communicate openly and honestly and always honor our commitments.