By Elizabeth Weaver
Intern
A Wilmington vendor specializing in locally sourced food and produce will bring a grocery store back to downtown this summer when it opens a 6,000-square-foot retail food market on Front Street that the owners described as a one-of-a-kind new concept store.
The Farmin’ On Front grocery store will occupy the former location of Second Time Around at 143 N. Front Street, and will be operated by Farmin’ Brands, a local food vendor that once operated as Carolina Farmin’ on Market Street.
“We’ve had our eyes on downtown Wilmington for a while now. With so many households not having access to quality market foods for their kitchens/families, it’s a perfect pairing for our new concept store,” said Farmin’ Brands marketing and outreach director Randall Heath. “With our network of incredible food producers and artisans, our concept for championing local foods was a natural fit for downtown Wilmington.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has classified downtown Wilmington as a food desert due to the lack of grocery stores with fresh food options available. The new store will help serve the unmet grocery needs of downtown Wilmington, said Farmin’ Brands President Ben Long.
“We’ve traveled many miles studying how similar urban markets accomplish smaller footprint, big impact models to bring a special shopping experience to downtown Wilmington; one that rivals comparative markets of Charleston and Savannah,” Long said.
Long said Farmin’ Brands serves as a gateway between local food producers and consumers, while also supplying restaurants, cafés and country clubs in southeastern North Carolina through its wholesale division, Farmin’ Exchange.
Recently, another food vendor has said it could relocate, as the Tidal Creek Co-op board of directors said that it will explore a move to downtown from its Oleander Drive location.
