by Ingrid Schnader
A local grocery store concept will be expanding this week.
Harvest Market — an independent retailer that offers a variety of local, organic and healthy food options — currently has one location on Second Avenue N. in Birmingham, but CEO Steve Shelton is gearing up for the opening of a Hoover location in Brock’s Gap.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at 1031 Brocks Gap Parkway in Hoover.
Shelton said that while this will be the second opening of Harvest Market, it will have a model that is unique to the Birmingham location. The Hoover market will have much more space than downtown, and Shelton said that Hoover’s location will have a full-time wine consultant, a 20-foot salad bar, a full-service deli and more.
Shelton was a general manager at Western Supermarkets for 20 years before the business closed in January. In April, Shelton and his partner, Jeff Gentry, took the Organic Harvest concept on Montgomery Highway and expanded into Birmingham. Their concept is different from other grocery stores in that they partner with local farmers and vendors, bringing products to consumers that they wouldn’t be able to purchase at a typical grocery store chain.
For more information on Harvest Market, visit theharvestmarkets.com.
