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Press Releases

Top Ten Food Trends for 2024

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Oct. 10, 2023

Fresh Thyme's first Trends Report focuses on Midwest shopping behaviors and brands. Trends such as sustainability, social media's influence on recipes and allergy awareness will give a glimpse into what can be expected in stores for 2024.

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Retailer of the Year: Fresh Thyme Market

Each year, WholeFoods Magazine nominates one retail store for its excellence across the industry- this year Fresh Thyme Market was selected! Congratulations to Fresh Thyme for its accomplishments this year.

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Fresh Thyme Market, in Partnership with Fresh Thyme Customers, Donates Over $350,000 to Feeding America

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Oct. 5, 2022

Fresh Thyme Market, a local, community-focused Midwest grocer is joining forces with customers in an effort to fight against hunger and raise awareness of people experiencing food insecurity. As a brand dedicated to enriching the lives of the communities they serve, Fresh Thyme is thrilled to announce a donation of over $350,000 to Feeding America. The donation will be shared across the Fresh Thyme Market footprint, with donations made to local food banks throughout the Midwest. This includes the St. Louis Food Bank, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Second Harvest Heartland, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Forgotten Harvest, Mid-Ohio Food Bank and several more throughout the Midwest.

During previous years, Fresh Thyme Market hosted a Round Up at the Register program across all its store locations, giving customers the opportunity to donate while they shop. Along with Round Up at the Register, Fresh Thyme Market customers were given the opportunity to participate in a Grab and Give initiative. This initiative allowed customers to purchase pre-bagged groceries at checkout allowing those groceries to go directly to local food banks. The funds from the Round Up program, paired with the pre-bagged groceries from the Grab and Give initiative, will be donated to the food banks to help provide food and services to those in need. So many households rely on their local food banks, as well as other hunger relief programs, for food assistance.

“The month of September marks Hunger Action Month and to show our appreciation towards the communities in which we serve, we are thrilled to donate funds to help alleviate hunger,” says Fresh Thyme Market President, Liz Zolcak. “With the culminated efforts of both the Fresh Thyme family and our customers, together we can aid in providing our local communities with the resources needed to promote access to proper nutrition.”

Fresh Thyme Market is a longtime partner of Feeding America and their affiliated food relief members. Back in December of 2021, Fresh Thyme Market announced a donation of $150,000 to the St. Louis Area Foodbank School-Based Market Program, a program with the goal of alleviating child hunger in America through the provision of food to children and their families.

Fresh Thyme Market Grand Rapids Location is Celebrating their Re-Grand Opening

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Aug. 10, 2022

Fresh Thyme Market, a neighborhood-focused grocer with 71 stores in 10 states throughout the Midwest, is celebrating their Re-Grand Opening at their Grand Rapids store, located at 2470 Burton St SE. The newly remodeled store features over 4,000 new items storewide, including hundreds of new beer, wine and liquor products featuring local Michigan and Grand Rapid breweries and distilleries, more sushi offerings, abundant and vibrant fresh flowers, and a self-checkout model, allowing customers the ease of shopping at their own speed.

“We are thrilled to announce that we have updated our 30,000 square-foot Grand Rapids store to provide customers with a new shopping experience from the moment they walk in the door.” Store Director, Rod Kennedy shared. “We are committed to providing our customers with a better shopping experience with more choices, more local and national brands and more convenience at low prices.”

Fresh Thyme Market is committed to deepening their roots within the local community in which they serve. Shoppers are invited to select fresh, local, natural and organic products that were carefully curated to meet them wherever they are on their personal health and wellness journey. The newly remodeled Fresh Thyme Market, Grand Rapids location features over 600 local, artisan items, including Hummus Goodness, Good Life Naturals, and Sugar Sweet Bath + Body Treats.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Grand Rapids Fresh Thyme Market will offer free parking to new and returning customers.

Liz Zolcak Named President of Fresh Thyme Market

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
June 29, 2022

Liz Zolcak has been named the new President of Fresh Thyme Market, succeeding Gerald Melville, who has announced his retirement after a 43-year retail career.

“I am thrilled and humbled to take on this exciting new challenge and to be trusted to lead such an incredible team,” Zolcak said. “Gerald and I have been able to accomplish significant wins with the team during our time working together, and I’m looking forward to even more successes ahead.”

Zolcak has 17 years of retail leadership experience and joined Fresh Thyme Market in 2020 as Vice President of Operations, overseeing the company’s 71 stores. She previously led in both domestic and international operations with Kroger and ALDI, including roles as Vice President of Retail Operations for Kroger, Division President of Ruler Foods, and Marketing Director for ALDI.

Melville became President of Fresh Thyme Market in 2019, joining the retailer from Meijer, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based supercenter chain.

“My tenure at Fresh Thyme Market has been challenging and exciting,” Melville said. “As I move on to my next phase, I’m very confident Fresh Thyme Market is poised for continued success as I hand the baton to Liz.”

Fresh Thyme Market, in Partnership with Fresh Thyme Customers, Donates Over $800,000 to Feeding America

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Feb. 9, 2022

Fresh Thyme Market, a local, community-focused Midwest grocer dedicated to enriching the lives of the communities they serve, is thrilled to announce a donation of over $800,000 to Feeding America. The donation will be shared across the Fresh Thyme Market footprint, with donations made to local food banks throughout the Midwest. This includes the St. Louis Food Bank, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Second Harvest Heartland, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Forgotten Harvest, Mid-Ohio Food Bank and several more throughout the Midwest.

In 2021, Fresh Thyme Market hosted a Round Up at the Register program across all its store locations, giving customers the opportunity to donate while they shop. Along with Round Up at the Register, Fresh Thyme Market customers were given the opportunity to participate in a Grab and Give initiative. This initiative allowed customers to purchase pre-bagged groceries at checkout allowing those groceries to go directly to local food banks. The funds from the Round Up program, paired with the pre-bagged groceries from the Grab and Give initiative, will be donated to the food banks to help provide food and services to those in need. So many households rely on their local food banks, as well as other hunger relief programs, for food assistance.

“As an organization, Fresh Thyme Market is dedicated to providing customers with real quality food within our local communities to promote access to proper nutrition,” says Fresh Thyme Market President, Gerald Melville. “With the culminated efforts of both the Fresh Thyme family and our customers, together we can aid in providing our local communities with resources dedicated to fight against hunger.”

Fresh Thyme Market is a longtime partner of Feeding America and their affiliated food relief members. In December, Fresh Thyme Market announced a donation of $150,000 to the St. Louis Area Foodbank School-Based Market Program, a program with the goal of alleviating child hunger in America through the provision of food to children and their families.

Fresh Thyme Market Donates $150,000 to Local St. Louis Food Bank to Help Support their School Market Program

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Dec. 3, 2021

Fresh Thyme Market, is thrilled to announce its donation of $150,000 to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, a member of Feeding America. This donation specifically benefits the St. Louis Area Foodbank School-Based Market Program which offers students and families choice and access to nutritious food to help reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and improve long-term health and wellness.

Fresh Thyme Market is proud to help support the local 13 School Markets located throughout Missouri and Illinois which connected over 1,600 families with 80,000 pounds of food and has provided over 60,000 meals to students and families to date. Fresh Thyme Market is honored to be a part of the St. Louis community giving these schools the food, equipment and training they need, to help provide a pathway out of food insecurity.

To help support these efforts, Fresh Thyme held a “Round Up at the Register” program across all their Missouri locations, giving customers the opportunity to donate while they shop. The funds from this program, paired with a donation directly from Fresh Thyme, will be given to the St. Louis Area Foodbank to help provide food and services to those in need.

“With the holiday season among us, our community must put its best foot forward to help support those throughout St. Louis in need of food security,” says Fresh Thyme Market President, Gerald Melville. As a company rooted in serving our local communities, we aim to promote wellness by providing residents with real, locally sourced products at affordable prices. Due to our partnership with the St. Louis Food Bank, which was a true culmination of efforts, we are proud to be able to give back to those who help keep our neighborhood afloat.”

Fresh Thyme is a longtime partner of Feeding America and their affiliated food relief members. In the fall of 2020, Fresh Thyme announced two significant donations to Midwest-based food banks. In September of 2020, Fresh Thyme donated $125,000 to the St. Louis Area Foodbank School-Based Market Program. On the heels of Hunger Action Month, in October of 2020, the retailer also donated over one million dollars shared across thirty-two local food banks throughout the Midwest. Fresh Thyme’s most recent donation coincided with the grand opening of the retailer’s new concept store that took place on November 10 in the historic St. Louis City Foundry area.

Fresh Thyme Market to Open New Concept Store at City Foundry in St. Louis on Nov. 10

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.
Nov. 10, 2021

Fresh Thyme Market, a full-service specialty retailer with 70 stores in 10 states throughout the Midwest, will open a new concept store on Nov. 10 at City Foundry in St. Louis, Missouri. The Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL store, at 3701 Foundry Way, provides the community with real food at real affordable prices.

“We’re thrilled to finally announce when we’ll be opening our doors and welcoming the St. Louis community to our beautiful new flagship store,” Store Director Jane Wilcox said. “Our team provides shoppers with an unparalleled grocery experience from the moment they walk in all the way through check out. We’re excited to make a positive impact in the community and look forward to showing shoppers what the Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL store is all about.”

The historic City Foundry of St. Louis was built with the intention to serve the community by providing local residents with accessible and affordable resources. Aligning seamlessly with Fresh Thyme’s mission to support their local communities, the 31,000-square-foot flagship store will feature a vast assortment of fresh, local, natural, and organic food, as well as national brand products at real affordable prices. Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL is committed to offering more than 1,000 local items, including Bridge Bread, Prioritized Pastries, Field to Fire, Patty’s Cheesecake and Demiblue Natural Nails.

Through easy-to-navigate shelves and reliably sourced products, Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL strives to present a more thoughtful approach for all St. Louis shoppers to live healthier lives. Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL, has partnered with local artist Grace McCammond to paint a mural of fresh colorful produce on the outside of the building facing Forest Park. The flagship store, features a full-service café, offering breakfast bites, power lunches and coffee concoctions, products from local, black women-owned businesses and a self-checkout model, allowing customers the ease of shopping at their own speed.

To further support and engage within the community, Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry STL is partnering with the St. Louis Food Bank School Market Program. This partnership provides access and choice of real food to students and families to live better and healthier lives. This commitment within the community positively impacts over 1,000 families to further deepen the store’s roots in the community they serve.

Fresh Thyme Market at City Foundry’s commitment to local also includes its team. Wilcox, who is a St. Louis native, is hiring more than 70 full- and part-time employees to help operate the store that will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The store will offer free parking for shoppers.

Teen entrepreneur lands Fresh Thyme deal

By Kayleigh Fongers, Grand Rapids Magazine
June 16, 2022 – A Kalamazoo teen recently secured a retail deal for her small business.
Eighteen-year-old Anaya Fernando, owner of Sugar Sweet Bath + Body Treats, will sell her natural self-care products at grocery retailer Fresh Thyme Market.
The official in-store launch will take place with a pop-up event from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 19, at the retailer’s Portage location, at 6212 S. Westnedge Ave. Fernando will give a meet-and-greet and product demos during the afternoon.
Founded in 2018 by Fernando and her mom and cousin, Sugar Sweet features products such as bath bombs, body butters, whipped soap, lip gloss and scrubs.
Fernando said she wanted to create a mission-driven business focused on self-care.
“I wanted to start something that helped women, because there are things out there that aren’t good for the body,” she said.
A recent graduate of Portage Northern High School, Fernando landed the Fresh Thyme deal the same week as her graduation.
The opportunity came through the Ready to Retail program offered by Teresa Baker, a Kalamazoo-based entrepreneur. The program is designed to position businesses to connect with national retailers.
While the Fresh Thyme launch will begin in Portage, Fernando will find out how many other locations will carry her products after June 19.
Fernando will attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College this fall while focusing on Sugar Sweet. She said she hasn’t decided on a major but plans to do something in business.
Her recommendation for those who wish to start a business is to meet a need and find a passion.
“Look for things that are needed, but things that you also like at the same time,” Fernando said. “You have to be able to love what you’re doing and how you’re doing it and what you’re doing with it.”
See original article here: https://www.grmag.com/people-places/teen-entrepreneur-lands-fresh-thyme-deal/

Fresh Thyme Market Opens in November inside City Foundry STL

ST. LOUIS (October 26, 2021) – Fresh Thyme Market is opening a new store on November 10 in Midtown’s City Foundry STL. The store will open in the City Foundry at 3701 Foundry Way. The store will be 27,000 square feet.
Fresh Thyme will have fresh, local, natural, organic food, a full-service café, and a self-checkout model.
“Community is at the core of everything we do at Fresh Thyme,” Fresh Thyme Market President Gerald Melville said. “We know our customers appreciate supporting local, so we’re really pleased to partner with RangeMe to offer products made in the St. Louis area to ensure they have the best shopping experience possible.”

How to eat healthy over the 4th of July weekend

ST. LOUIS (July 1, 2021) – Your typical 4th of July holiday foods are burgers, hot dogs, brats, and chips, but those aren’t the healthiest options.
So if you do want to go the healthy route, Meghan Sedivy has some ideas. She is a registered dietician and the health and wellness manager at Fresh Thyme Market. She has the details on the recipes from the Lakeside Renovation and Design Weather Deck.
Sedivy suggests a bison burger because it has more iron and vitamin B12 than chicken. She said Fresh Thyme Market also has a plant based burger made with quinoa, walnuts, and black beans. A chicken burger is also a great option.

A gluten free dish for Celiac Disease Awareness Month

May 11, 2021 – May is Celiac Awareness Month! Did you know that around 1 in 100 people worldwide are affected by Celiac Disease? Fortunately, there are now a wide variety of foods and recipes that incorporate gluten-free ingredients, that still deliver on taste and flavor. Check out Freshthyme.com for the Quinoa Burrito Bowl recipe and more delicious gluten-free recipes in honor of Celiac Awareness Month.

Fresh Thyme Markets to add New Zealand salmon to seafood selection

January 27, 2021 – Natural retailer seeks to elevate seafood offerings available to customers in the Midwest
Regal New Zealand King Salmon is expanding U.S. distribution of its award-winning salmon with the launch of its premium Regal Fresh King Salmon at all 70 Fresh Thyme Market grocery stores across 10 Midwest states.
Raised in the clean and cold waters of New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, the fresh King salmon will be sold by the pound from the seafood counters at Fresh Thyme Market grocery stores chainwide starting this month. New Zealand’s King Salmon was the first marine-raised salmon to achieve the coveted Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Green/Best Choice rating, which was renewed in 2020.
This expands Regal’s partnership with Downers Grove, Ill.-based Fresh Thyme Market, where it has been selling its sliced smoked salmon since early last year.
The rollout fits into the fresh-focused retailer’s emphasis on real healthy foods at affordable prices. Both partners see this distribution deal as a unique opportunity to elevate the seafood offerings available to discerning shoppers.
“This is something that doesn’t happen every day in the grocery retail world of seafood,” said Jason Resner, Fresh Thyme Market’s vice president of fresh merchandising. “Allowing customers everyday access to this level of high-quality salmon fillet at a value, across 10 Midwest states, is a great way to start the new year.”
“We are delighted to become Fresh Thyme Market’s strategic supplier for top-grade salmon,” said Michael Fabbro, New Zealand King Salmon Co.’s vice president, North America. “The chain’s shoppers have already said yes to our smoked salmon line. We know they’ll enjoy adding fresh King filets to their culinary repertoire.”
In collaboration with Regal, Fresh Thyme Market grocery stores will provide shoppers with recipes and educational materials about the health benefits of King Salmon, which has one of the highest natural healthy oil contents of all salmon varieties. This oil is a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which have important heart and brain health benefits and give the salmon a luscious, elegant texture.
Regal King salmon is sustainably raised and certified Kosher. It will be air freighted fresh from New Zealand to Fresh Thyme Market’s distribution center.
Fresh Thyme Market will sell Regal New Zealand King Salmon at an initial promotional price of $12.99 per pound from Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2021, and follow the launch with promotions targeted to key holidays throughout the year.
The salmon launch is happening against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the companies noted, which has yielded new opportunities to tap into rising demand for top-quality ingredients from specialty food consumers who are cooking more at home.