After nearly two years of waiting, Naperville is welcoming The Fresh Market to town.
Wednesday marks the grand opening of the North Carolina-based grocer’s first Naperville store at 204 S. Route 59 in the northern end of the Westridge Court shopping center.
To ring in the occasion, the store is celebrating with an opening event featuring live music and food samplings. Giveaways are also planned, with the first 500 people to visit the store Wednesday due to walk away with a free The Fresh Market Naperville reusable shopping bag.
“We’re very excited,” a Fresh Market spokesperson said. “Naperville has been on our radar for some time.”
Naperville’s 25,725-square-feet store has been in the works since early 2023. It replaces a Dick’s Sporting Goods Warehouse that relocated to the Aurora side of Westridge Court. Both sides of the shopping center are owned by New York-based Brixmor Property Group.
Rich Dippolito, vice president of redevelopment for Brixmor, said the property group is looking forward to store opening at Westridge.
“They’ll be a really good complement to the rest of the center. … It just adds a new dimension to the shopping,” he said.
The Fresh Market advertises itself as a “specialty grocery store offering easy meals and delicious fresh foods,” according to its website. Started in 1982, the company currently operates 163 stores across the country. Including its Naperville store, the grocer has six locations in Illinois, with other stores are in Crystal Lake, Geneva, Lake Forest and Wimette.
Last month, The Fresh Market also opened a location in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, in what was formerly a Dom’s Kitchen & Market.
Apart from groceries, customers visiting the Naperville location also will find a variety of made-to-order dishes and meals to go. Selections range from meats smoked in-house and artisan pizza to a salad and soup station.
The store also offers full- and self-service coffee and smoothie stations as well as a bakery and a selection of craft beer that includes local brews. There are inside seating areas for customers who don’t want to wait to enjoy their finds.
The Fresh Market Naperville will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
In addition to its retail operation, the store also will be supplying the Northern Illinois Food Bank with ongoing food donations to eliminate local food insecurity.
As part of its opening event Wednesday, the store is presenting the food bank with an initial $2,000 donation.