Full service grocery store returning to Manchester market space

Changes at The Manchester Market are starting to show on the outside, while work continues on the interior of the building in preparation for an early 2021 opening.

"We're moving along," said Ken Heers, part owner of The Manchester Market building on West Main Street, as they prepare for opening in early 2021.

Since announcing along with his partner, Justin Dalenberg, in early August that they would be locating a butcher shop and bakery for the Doll n' Burger chain (currently with locations in Tecumseh and Jackson), as well as the Grand River Brewery in Jackson, plans have continued to grow. In early October, it was announced that the building would also house an expanded Acorn Farmers' Market & Café, with a small retail convenience market based on the Perky Pantry model, in which Heers also partners.

"The new Doll n' Burger in Jackson is going just great," Heers said last Wednesday, "which is why we need this market! We are producing a heck of a lot of beef for Doll 'n' Burger."

And now, after making an agreement with Spartan Stores, Heers added that there would be a full grocery store. "It was important to Justin and me to provide a grocery store to this community," he says. "Now, not only are you going to have a grocery store, it's going to be a really nice grocery store. You'll have your fresh farmers' market produce from Acorn, there will be a café; we will have a counter serving Iorio's artisan Gelato, plus our bakery, butchery, groceries, frozen food, dairy, and a beer cave.

"Where the old butcher shop used to be, on the west wall, we're bumping it out six feet and extending it down. It's going to need to be very large to accommodate everything we are doing. And we will have a prepared food area where the deli used to be, serving power bowls, fried chicken, smoked pork ... and all that will wrap around the grocery."

While the store's floor plan is not yet finalized, it appears that everything fits into the plan very neatly and Manchester will, indeed, have a "really nice grocery store," that can help attract people back to the community. Heers says that is something that he and Dalenberg have talked about a lot. "I can't believe you've been here for almost two years without a grocery store," he says. "We are very excited that we can do this for the community."

Will all of these changes delay the opening of the new store?

Heers has high hopes that they can stick to their original timeline of early to mid-January, but recognizing that there might be supply issues for materials, he says that would be the only thing that could delay them. They have a vested interest in making sure the store opens on schedule, of course, as they need the butcher and bakery to be up and running to supply their current and new Doll n' Burger stores.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.