Where droves of Ann Arborites once crowded into see the latest movie, crowds of Tree Town residents will squeeze in to find the latest in high-end groceries when Plum Market opens today.
"We can't wait to open this store, and for Plum Market to become an active part of the unique community that is Ann Arbor," says co-founder Matthew Jonna. "We're looking forward to creating an environment where friends and neighbors can shop, share and just generally have a great experience."
The upscale grocer's 28,000 square feet in the Maple Village Shopping Center takes up most of the space of what was once the Foxtown movie theater.
The independent supermarket sees an opportunity to break into the lucrative Ann Arbor market for natural, organic and specialty foods, even though the city already has a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and smaller independents like Produce Station. The key is those supermarkets are located on the southwest side of town while the Plum Market is at the corner of North Maple Road and Dexter Avenue on the city's northwest side. Their closest competitor is the recently expanded local stalwart, Arbor Farms.
The opening also serves as a homecoming for the Jonna family, which founded the Merchant of Vino store on the city's northeast side. Matthew Jonna and brother/Plum Market co-founder Marc Jonna are the third generation of grocers in their family.
The grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting/bread breaking, along with special treats for the first 100 guests, a wide variety of product demonstrations and raffles. The store will be a full-service grocery store, featuring high-quality meat, seafood and produce, along with a large wine selection and restaurant-caliber prepared foods. A full-service pharmacy will also be on hand.
This is the grocer's second location. Its first is in Bloomfield Township. There are also plans for one in downtown Royal Oak in the second phase of the Main North Lofts development and future ones throughout Metro Detroit.
Source: Beth Ann Locke, director of marketing for Plum Market
Writer: Jon Zemke
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