At last! Red Bridge grocery store opens

By Jill Draper

While a saxophone player hired for the special occasion wailed out a soulful version of “At Last,” shoppers at the new Farm Fresh Market echoed that sentiment as they roamed the aisles sampling bakery cookies, Frutopia ice cream and local honey.

“Finally!” was a frequent comment heard at the grand opening of the grocery store on Dec. 18 at the Red Bridge Shopping Center. The property at 11212 Holmes Road had been vacant for nearly two years after a different store, Sun Fresh, shut down.

Following a performance by the Center High Marching Band, a crowd waiting in the parking lot listened to comments by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, store manager/partner Moe Muslet and various City Council members and civic leaders before surging inside the doors.

“I just want to look,” said one person, but plenty of others did a little shopping, clutching bags of fruit, packages of meat and takeout containers from the salad bar.

“It’s a traditional store, but we’re sprinkling Hispanic stuff throughout,” said Muslet, who mentioned items like chorizo, al pastor chicken “spiced up and ready to cook” and finely cut marinated steak for tacos. He added the store is selling familiar local brands such as Shatto milk products, Jack Stack and Joe’s barbecue sauces, Ruby Jean’s juices and Cascone’s pasta sauce. Farm to Market breads will be available beginning Dec. 21.

“It feels good to open. It’s kind of a relief,” said Muslet. “Good things take time, and we ran into many surprises when remodeling.”

Muslet said it will be another 30 to 60 days before the store is where he wants it to be, but customers already will find an expansion of departments—fresh cut meat, floral, produce, Frutopia, tacos, sushi and liquor—compared to the previous grocer.

“We’re proud to be part of the Red Bridge community,” he said. “Every day I get emails and calls thanking us for being here.”

In the future the store will have discounts on special days featuring tacos, pizza and ice cream for kids.

Farm Fresh Market is part of a family business that runs more than a half-dozen grocery stores in the Kansas City area, including Mercado Fresco on Longview Road and World

Fresh Market at Metcalf and 103rd Street. Over the past months, some $6.5 million has been invested into the Red Bridge grocery store’s renovation.

Muslet said customers can sign up for a weekly email ad at kcfarmfresh.com. The store is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm. On Christmas day it will close at 6 pm.