Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a new specialty grocer, announced that it plans to open stores in Milwaukee and Brookfield.
The Milwaukee store will be located in the third phase of Mandel Group Inc.’s North End development, according to commercial real estate sources.
A spokesman for Fresh Thyme Farmers Market declined to disclose the location of the Milwaukee and Brookfield stores and said lease agreements have not been finalized. The stores are planned to open in 2015.
Mandel Group President Barry Mandel also declined to comment on the grocery store planned for The North End.
Each Fresh Thyme store will be about 28,000 square feet in size. Fresh Thyme says its stores will offer “healthy and organic value-priced offerings.”
Fresh Thyme on Tuesday announced plans for 23 store locations, all in the Midwest. The first will be in Mt. Prospect, Ill. and will open in April.
“Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets will be a completely new grocery format for the Midwest,” said Chris Sherrell, president and CEO. “We’ve taken the experience of an outdoor farmers market and combined it with the convenience of a full-service grocery store. Shoppers will enjoy value priced natural and organic items throughout our store, making healthy food more attainable to the masses. Our markets answer the Midwest’s demand for fresh, healthy, natural and organic food, all at great prices, in a convenient and inviting format.”
The third phase of The North End will be built northwest of Water Street and Pleasant Street in Milwaukee, just north of the first two phases of the project. The Fresh Thyme Farmers Market store will be on the first floor with 168 apartments in the upper floors of the building.
Mandel Group is also planning a fourth phase of the North End with a total of 250 apartments in a pair of buildings to the south of the existing development. One building there will be on the west side of Water Street and the other will be on the east side of the street.
Construction for phase three of The North End is expected to begin in June, Mandel said.
