Earth Fare store to open in old Harvest Grocery in Hixson

Staff file photo by Tim Barber Harvest Grocery on Hixson Pike closed earlier this year. The site is slated to hold an Earth Fare store this fall.
Staff file photo by Tim Barber Harvest Grocery on Hixson Pike closed earlier this year. The site is slated to hold an Earth Fare store this fall.

Organic foods supermarket chain Earth Fare is planning to open its second store in Chattanooga with a location in Hixson.

The North Carolina-based grocer is slated to put the new store at 5414 Hixson Pike. Earth Fare's website calls for a fall opening for the unit.

The 32,000-square-foot site formerly held organic supermarket Harvest Grocery, which shut down this spring.

Earth Fare spokesman Mark Malinowski said the chain is growing quickly with 37 stores in nine states.

"At Earth Fare, our mission is to bring healthy food to everyone," he said in a statement. "We are very excited to continue our growth in Tennessee, and will look forward to sharing more details about our new location with you in the coming months."

He declined to say how many people the store will employ or the investment it will make in the new store.

Earth Fare has had a Chattanooga store on Gunbarrel Road near Hamilton Place mall for many years.

Founded in 1975 in Asheville, Earth Fare has locations in the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Midwest states.

Nearby Hixson merchants said Wednesday they're ready to see a new occupant for the store space, which for many years held a Bi-Lo supermarket before the Harvest Grocery.

Karley Southern of Elliotts, which sells boots and shoes, said that store will sit next to the new Hixson Pike Earth Fare.

"We're excited to have something eye-catching," she said.

Southern said she thinks the Earth Fare can work in Hixson because it has a following and multiple locations.

Larry Skelf of Stuff It Upholstery on Hixson Pike said the Earth Fare will bring more traffic to the area.

"It helps everybody," he said.

Bill Myrick of Hixson Carpet nearby said the store site is "too nice a place to sit empty."

"As long as something goes there," he said. "Anything, as far as I'm concerned."

The building location is owned by Harvest Market, which purchased it in 2014, according to the Hamilton County Assessor of Property.

Harvest Grocery was an independent supermarket that focused on fresh regional produce which was owned by Tim McClure, Mike Case and Dr. Charles "Chip" Crump. The site was renovated for about $5.5 million to bring to Hixson more natural and organic foods.

The store opened in 2015 but closed less than a year later last spring. McClure said then the store didn't generate enough shoppers to support it.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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