Last updated on May 23rd, 2016 at 09:25 am
Earth Fare opened its fourth Ohio location yesterday in The Venue at Belden, located at 3939 Everhard Road in North Canton. Every item in the new 24,000-s.f. store is free of artificial fats, trans-fats, colors, preservatives and sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup, as well as bleached or bromated flour. Its meat, seafood and poultry offerings are from animals that have never been administered antibiotics or growth hormones.
The Asheville, North Carolina-based chain said in a news release that hundreds of people lined up hours before the 7 a.m. opening.
After a ribbon cutting ceremony with local dignitaries that included a $1,000 donation to Stark Fresh, a local organization that provides access to locally sourced fresh food, there were contests and giveaways, as well as sampling, special deals, product demonstrations and live music.
“Earth Fare opened its first store in Ohio five years ago to provide healthier options to the community. We source only the best tasting, highest grades of produce, seafood, meats, poultry, dairy and raw ingredients for our in-house prepared meals-to-go, bakery, hot bar and salad bars,” said Earth Fare President and CEO Frank Scorpiniti. “Our response from the community has been overwhelming. We hosted our ‘Love Local’ vendor fair earlier in March and are proud to announce many local artisans and food producers will be available at Earth Fare, including: Berlin Natural Bakery, Cleveland Kraut and Crimson Cup Coffee, to name a few.
“In addition, we established a Community Advisory Board made up of a number of passionate community members who came together to help Earth Fare build the best healthy offering for the North Canton neighborhood,” Scorpiniti added. “Today marks the first step in providing the best selection of fresh, healthier choices closer to home.”
Earth Fare says its “food philosophy” is that it “reads labels so you don’t have to.”
“We believe that healthy food improves lives, so we make it easy for our customers by providing them with healthier choices for themselves and their families every day,” said Scorpiniti. “Our commitment to the highest ‘Quality Standards’ means customers can shop with ease and confidence in every aisle of our store and be assured that they are not taking home many unnecessary chemical additives to their family. Earth Fare also makes it a priority to work with environmentally and socially responsible organizations dedicated to a holistic vision of healthy living, including: USDA Organic, Non-GMO Certified and Certified B Corp.”
Founded in 1975, Earth Fare operates 37 stores in nine states in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
