Stepping away from his work, Chris Felder had just enough time to catch his breath, when he was asked about the only grocery store of its kind in Jackson he opened June 16, 2015.
“So many people have asked me what has surprised me the most about the business, and I’ve never had an answer,” Felder said. “I didn’t have expectations, because I didn’t know what to expect.”
Felder, who owns Grubb’s Grocery, celebrates anniversary No. 3, Saturday, at 4 Jackson Walk Plaza.
“More than anything, I’m humbled,” Felder said. “We’ve not only kept the business steady – we’ve grown it. People have a choice where they want to shop, and a lot are choosing us.”
The appeal is a natural food store which carries every major and minor grocery category, including general dry grocery; dairy and perishables and cheeses; fresh meat and seafood; frozen foods; bulk herbs, bulk foods, bulk coffee and bulk water; nutritional vitamins and supplements.
Chris said he began offering a line of organic and popular wines in 2017.
There are also health and beauty products; household and general merchandise; fresh, local and organic produce; and natural pet foods and pet products.
There is parking for 65 vehicles at the store’s main entrance, located on the south side of the building with additional parking spaces available at the plaza entrance.
“We have a lot of products you can’t find in Jackson, about 8,500 total,” Felder said. “Anybody can sell a product, but not just anybody can sell an experience.”
Felder has been in natural foods retail since 2001, when he helped open The Turnip Truck Store in Nashville, and for someone who had never been in downtown Jackson, he has simply made himself at home – with the help of a couple of new friends.
Hal Crocker and Henry Turley, who co-developed the 17-acre Healthy Community LLC campus, that is home to the LiFT Wellness Center, Jackson Walk Apartments and the Shops at Jackson Plaza.
“The people in this area are visionaries, and you can feel it,” Felder said. “Not just Hal (Crocker) and Henry (Turley), but there are a lot of other smart people in Jackson, and there is no end in site as far as the growth in Jackson is concerned.”
Hal Crocker sees Chris Felder as a great ambassador for Jackson Walk.
“He really feels great about his location,” Crocker said. “The key to any walkable community has to be a grocery store, with an emphasis on a healthy community. It’s symbolic to what we are trying to do, and Chris is a perfect fit for Jackson Walk.”
(PHOTO: Chris Felder, owns Grubb’s Grocery)
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