A Colorado-based organic grocery store is opening its doors in Gainesville this week.
Lucky’s Market, a full-line grocery store located at 1409 NW 23rd Ave., is having its soft opening today. A ceremony with live music, free giveaways and food samples from local vendors will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, said store director Garris Matthews.
This is the store’s first location in Florida, although the franchise plans on expanding throughout the state, he said. The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
“It’s a unique grocery store, offering high quality, affordable, local, natural and traditionally crafted foods,” he said. “We’re making it a really comfortable setting.”
Although the store mainly offers organic food, it also offers a variety of conventional food, too.
“We don’t want to confine people to that,” Matthews said. “It’s a one-stop shop for everybody.”
Matthews said UF attracted the chain to Gainesville as Lucky’s lends itself to consumers who are conscious of what they eat and how food affects the body.
The company is passionate about giving back to the community and has donated $25,000 to Bread of The Mighty Food Bank and Grace Marketplace. Matthews said there will also be a $2,000 donation to a voted-upon individual or community group each month.
Ward’s Supermarket, a family-owned, organic grocery store located about half a mile from Lucky’s, is preparing for the added competition, said owner Trish Ward.
“It is certainly a concern for us any time a new store opens, especially one that’s as close as this is to us,” Ward said. “We’ve done everything we can to prepare for it.”
Ward said she hopes a refreshed building, new parking lot and loyalty will keep customers stopping by.
She said the 64-year-old establishment is the only local, independent grocery store left in the city.
“Ward’s has an atmosphere that’s very hard to duplicate anywhere else … a very friendly, warm atmosphere that we created with a lot of family members and happy employees,” Ward said.
Matthews said Ward’s is doing a great job of promoting the idea that good food leads to good health.
“We’re excited about being in the same city as those really doing what we’re doing,” he said.
