Power hits a hiccup; Acorn opening delayed again

Work continues on the future location of Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, but it will be a bit longer before the store is able to open. (Photo courtesy Kenny Frost)

“This is not anything we would have wanted to have happen later on,” said Kenny Frost, store manager of Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, of the store’s most recent unfortunate setback, “so it actually may be a blessing in disguise.”

As ongoing construction and upgrades are happening at the new Manchester Market site, at 455 W. Main, Consumers Energy discovered deficiencies in the power grid on the west side of the village, which need to be remedied prior to the new store opening. Between the Farmers’ Market, Iorio Gelato, the Butcher and Bakery shops for the Doll n’ Burger chain, and the grocery store operation, the building will have increased power needs due to expanded refrigerator and freezer usage, plus HVAC, which require specific upgrades.

Artist’s rendition of future Manchester Market exterior.

“It is better to find this out now rather than later,” Frost added.

A new transformer will help Consumers provide ample energy for the store’s “max-out” power needs, and plans are moving ahead for this to happen in the coming weeks. A new opening date is still a moving target, but the delay has also made it more likely that the entire operation will be able to open at once, later this spring, rather than in stages as originally planned. This, too, is part of what Frost considers a blessing in disguise.

“Then, we can really have a grand opening of the building that this town deserves,” he said.

The good news in all of this is that current store operations at Acorn’s 327 W. Main location are still “humming along,” and hours will be expanded shortly to include Wednesday afternoon hours. Indoor as well as walk-up and pre-order curbside service is now being provided on all the days the store is open. (Thursday & Friday, 3-6 pm, Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Wednesday hours will be announced soon.)

The store and staff are now ServSafe Certified through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and more items are being added to the store weekly. Additional storage is being utilized to be able to offer a wider variety of groceries and other essential items.

“I want to emphasize that no one messed up; no amount of donations or additional volunteers would have changed things in this situation,” Frost said. “We are incredibly grateful to our community, our partners, and our customers for their continuous support.

“We look forward to continuing to serve the community in new ways. It’s going to be an awesome summer in Manchester!”

Operations at Acorn’s current site, 327 W. Main, are expanding with new products and more storage capacity.

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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.