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Earth Fare is now open in Roanoke. And for a grocery store, their success is more about what shoppers won't find on their shelves, as the store has done the work for the shopper. No more scanning ingredients or wondering about indecipherable words - clean food is ready to hit your table.
Based out of Asheville, North Carolina, they have 44 stores throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Their store in Roanoke, located on Franklin Road as part of the Ivy Market development (anchored by Mellow Mushroom and Carilion Institute for Orthopedics and Neurosciences) is the first Earth Fare in Virginia, with plans to continue growth. Their promise of high-quality, healthy products includes items without artificial colors, hormones and high-fructose corn syrup, among others. Their private Earth Fare brand offers 750 products and they have over a thousand gluten-free items, insuring that shoppers with dietary needs and restrictions can still eat well and feel good.
Bulk items (175 of them) include everything from grains and beans to candy and granola, and even liquid bulk with apple cider vinegar, agave and more. Shoppers can also make their own peanut or almond butters. Buying items by the pound can be cost-effective for families looking to keep grocery store trips to a minimum. Families can also take advantage of their daily deals and clean food security motto, which include meals that equal out to around $2.50 per person, and can comfortably feed a family of four (Monday is whole roasted chickens for $5, Tuesdays include pasta, while Fridays are "Take and Bake" pizza nights).
Bulk coffees and teas are also available, as are locally sourced items such as Red Rooster coffee. Shoppers will see labels about the local business and their story. Earth Fare is finding their footing within their new Roanoke community, including working with 17 community leaders on a Community Advisory board who offered opinions before their doors opened. (This included listening to their insistence on Homestead Creamery ice cream!) The group met regularly for months prior to opening and influenced the selection of dairy choices, grass-fed options, local farms and fresh seafood.
Earth Fare has a partnership with Inland Seafood, which provides them with hormone-free, additive-free seafood. Their meat is also grass-fed, while eggs are cage-free. Their produce section is a beautiful rainbow of bright colors; be sure to circle the entire place so as not to miss the beer and wine section, open air cheese selections (fans of charcuterie plates will love the options), a full bakery with freshly baked breads and desserts and deli with freshly sliced meats, sushi and plenty of lunch options, including the juice bar that's bound to be a big hit. Lastly, the wellness aisles offer plenty of products such as cleaning products and personal items (all animal cruelty-free), along with an employee who will assist with any questions during your visit.
The store itself is 24,000 square feet, with a reflective roof that reduces cooling costs in warmer months, water filtered through reverse osmosis, energy-efficient hand dryers to reduce landfill waste and LED bulbs for less energy use. They've hired 90 employees from the Roanoke region, and plan to go up to 130. Their cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, equals 80 seats and includes free wi-fi, where guests can enjoy items from the hot bar, pizzas, juice bar, deli and bakery.
Earth Fare is now open 7 days a week from 7a.m. to 11p.m.