Fresh Market offers natural and organic products

Roaming around The Fresh Market in Cedar Rapids feels a little like shopping in a classic European market.

Containers of fresh flowers, including the company's signature pots of orchids, greet shoppers near the entrance. A small counter sells coffee by the cup and beans, whole or grounded, by the pound. Rows of neatly stacked and rich-colored produce is culled regularly to remove wilting or old items. Fresh meats and seafood are displayed in glass cases. Breads, cakes and layered pastries made fresh in the store fill baskets and shelves in the bakery.

And one of the busiest spots in the store, the deli, features five different flavors of roasted whole chickens, and large bowls of salads, sandwiches, cheeses, sliced meats, sushi and other items. An olive bar provides more than a dozen options.

Vinyl flooring made to look like wood planks and wood wall panels give the store a rustic, warm feel. Classical music in the background adds to the atmosphere.

The Fresh Market will open a store in West Des Moines late this year in a new retail development at South 60th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. The North Carolina company operates 170 stores in 27 states.

The store sells "high quality specialty and gourmet" foods with some organic produce, meat and dairy, said Amy Donati, district manager. The company buys some locally sourced produce and other items to sell in the markets, she said.

The Cedar Rapids store has a strong lunch business, with shoppers picking up prepared food, she said.

It offers a $20 monthly dinner package that includes a complete meal to make for four that's popular with customers, she said. The most recent was a taco dinner that offered meat, either chicken or ground sirloin, shredded lettuce, a tub of guacamole, shredded cheese, tortillas and a sauce.

Tuesdays feature $2.99-per-pound ground chuck or chicken breasts, and Saturday is $6.99 seafood.

The store also has groceries with some brand names, bulk candy, dairy and other items. Customers are encouraged to ask for samples of all the store's offerings, Donati said.

Shopper Marcia Ramler of Robins stops at the Cedar Rapids store for vegetables, meat, deli salads and pickles.

"They are a little pricier here, so I just come for certain items," she said. "I usually try something new each time I come in."

Tasha Barkdoll of Marion buys organic and natural items at the Fresh Market. On a recent trip to the store she bought non-GMO snacks for her young son, cereal, a natural pie crust and almond milk.

"The store is beautiful, I love it," she said. "Once they get settled here, I hope the prices come down."