![]() ![]() "We try to provide a culture with our staff that helps promote and go back to the old-school way," he said. 16 launch, VanOverloop said he thinks visitors will be pleasantly surprised with the different environment Fresh Thyme creates. Jubilee didn't fail, he said its owners simply moved on.Īhead of the store's Sept. "Ohio has certainly been on our radar and right now we have several stores in Ohio, with Dublin being closest to Worthington."įor those wondering if Fresh Thyme will succeed, Harris said he has no doubts. "We're expanding over the entire Midwest in about 12 states," VanOverloop said. The newest location is the first of many in the works for the region. Throughout the grand-opening weekend, the store will host wine tastings, activities for children and other events. Fresh Thyme's grand-opening tradition is to give the first 250 customers a branded reusable bag filled with $50 worth of "healthy and nutritious offerings." The ribbon-cutting is scheduled at 6:45 a.m. ![]() "Sometimes we're selling hot dogs for $2 and a buck of that goes to organizations we're working with."ĭuring the store's grand opening, the business will award $2,500 in donations to the McConnell Arts Center and Friends of Worthington Library. "We rely heavily and direct our store directors to be part of the local chamber (of commerce) and involve themselves in organizations where we can put together maybe a donation event or other things," Van-Overloop said. VanOverloop said Worthington store director Ray Simkins already is working with the community and aims to participate with various groups to put events together. "It was universally desired to have a grocery store back downtown," he said.įresh Thyme said their stores combine "the spirit of a weekend farmers market and the convenience of a neighborhood store," and focus on giving back to the communities they move into. When he first joined the city in 2010, he took inventory of what residents wanted, and a replacement for Jubilee was high on the list, he said. ![]() Worthington Economic Development Manager Jeff Harris said the city had been working to bring a grocery store back downtown for some time. "We're adding value in what's an unintimidating environment in our stores." "We're really driving the healthy foods and bringing fresh, healthy foods to the masses," Fresh Thyme Director of Operations Bruce VanOverloop said. But Fresh Thyme promises to bring healthful and accessible food back to Worthington. The area has been without a grocery store since 2006, when Jubilee Foods closed its doors. 16 for its new location at 933 High St., just north of Old Worthington. "We're in regional malls in almost every city we're in now.Come September, downtown Worthington will have a grocery store again.įresh Thyme Farmers Market, in development since 2014, has set an opening date of Sept. "A regional-type mall is much better for us as far as a location," Cole said. Ray Cole, vice president of sales promotion in the company's Orlando headquarters, said Belk Lindsey is focusing on regional malls. "I was told the transition is going to be quick."Īlthough the Britton Plaza store is Tampa's last, Belk Lindsey is keeping 24 other stores open in Central Florida. "When the theater was being renovated, there was a difference" in her number of customers, she said. What concerns her most, she said, is the length of the transition. "(JByrons) is going to better the center."Ĭhristine Posner, manager of Discount Party House next to Belk Lindsey, said she doesn't expect the change of stores to affect her business much. "The whole south Dale Mabry area has picked up," he said. He said the addition of JByrons and ongoing renovation of the shopping center mirror an improving image of the area. Even the old theater has been renovated to near newness.Ĭhris Overloop, property manager for Bruce Strumpf Inc., the company that leases the center, said Belk Lindsey's space will be redesigned and expanded by 50,000 square feet. The center now hosts Albertsons, Play it Again Sports and SteinMart. Grants, Publix and JCPenny are long gone. ![]()
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