The Fresh Market’s newly opened Lakewood Ranch, Florida, location showcases how far the specialty grocer has come as a foodservice destination.

The 24,034-square-foot store at 11525 State Rd. 70 East, which debuted in April, follows a concept the specialty grocer first introduced in 2021 that takes “an expanded kitchen focus on what’s for dinner,” a spokesperson for the grocer wrote in an email. The concept’s footprint currently consists of five stores, with locations in Greensboro, Palm Beach Gardens, Port St. Lucie and now Lakewood Ranch, Florida, as well as a store in Carmel, Indiana.

The in-store foodservice offerings primarily focus on easy meal options, whether coming from the grocer’s center store restaurants, bakery, coffee bar or growing meal kit options.

Around the clock drinking

A designated coffee area isn’t a new concept for The Fresh Market, but the grocer’s Lakewood Ranch location approaches the offering in a unique way. 

The coffee bar sits adjacent to the full- and self-service station, featuring iced and hot coffees as well as lattes, mochas and hot tea. To make this area a complete breakfast spot for shoppers, the store also offers made-to-order smoothies along with fresh breakfast and pastry options.

For later in the day, The Fresh Market’s newest store also has an expanded craft beer selection that features local offerings.

Hot-and-ready meals

The Fresh Market’s Lakewood Ranch store centers on numerous in-store restaurant-quality offerings.

The first is an in-house smoked pit barbecue serving ribs, pork and fresh brisket that’s smoked overnight for a minimum of 12 hours over locally sourced wood, the grocer noted. 

Shoppers can also try the store’s hot and freshly prepared pizza.

Shortly after opening the Lakewood Ranch store, The Fresh Market expanded its pizza offering across its stores. The menu, which includes hot honey pepperoni, cheese and pepe fromage, is available for delivery through DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats.

For a lighter meal, customers at the Lakewood Ranch store can choose from a selection of scooping salads. There is also an olive bar and soup station. 

Like all Fresh Market locations, this newest store offers sandwiches and sushi in its center store and restaurant area, the spokesperson confirmed. The Lakewood Ranch location also features a taco bar concept — an offering shoppers can find at other locations that have recently opened. 

The location features both indoor and outdoor seating, similar to many of the grocer’s stores in warmer climates, and is open for customers to enjoy its meal options or a cup of coffee.

Bringing restaurant-quality home

Shoppers who like to cook at home but want to simplify the process can turn to The Fresh Market’s two lines of restaurant-quality meal kits. 

Little Big Meal provides meals that can be “made at home in minutes,” according to the spokesperson. The kits are enough to feed a family of four and cost $25.

The Fresh Market also offers Market Meal Kits, which are designed to feed two individuals for $20 or less. There are nearly 20 Market Meal Kit options available, including chicken parm, Thai coconut shrimp and creamy gorgonzola steak.

This month, The Fresh Market launched four new meal kit options: a salmon gochujang rice bowl, pork gochujang rice bowl, black garlic chicken gochujang rice bowl and miso ginger sea bass rice bowl. The spokesperson noted that meal kit options are often rotated out seasonally.

“We’re always trying new recipes for the kits,” the spokesperson said, noting that the grocer’s meal kit options differ between locations based on customer preferences.