Press

Earth Fare to Open New Auburn, Alabama Location June 23

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:56:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Earth Fare to Open New Auburn , Alabama Location June 23

The Healthy Supermarket Lives Up to its Name by Putting the Health of the Community First

(AUBURN , AL – April 6, 2010) – Earth Fare, the healthy supermarket, is opening its second Alabama location, June 23 on Opelika Road in Auburn . Founded in Asheville , NC , 35 years ago, Earth Fare feeds and inspires the healthy person inside us all by offering a wide variety of local, organic and healthy foods.

Unlike other grocery stores, Earth Fare adheres to a strict food philosophy that prohibits items with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats), and artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors or fragrances. In addition to the above, Earth Fare’s Food Philosophy bans all fresh meats and dairy containing antibiotics and/or synthetic growth hormones.

The Auburn Earth Fare location will offer fresh local and organic fruits and vegetables, a full service antibiotic- and hormone- free meat, poultry and seafood department, a cheese department, an on-site bakery, and a healthy and body care department. The store will also make healthy eating convenient and affordable with its ready-to-go meal options from the grill, hot and salad bar and prepared food case.

“At Earth Fare, we read the label so you don’t have to,” said Jack Murphy, Earth Fare’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are passionate about providing communities like Auburn products without high fructose corn syrup, added trans-fats and artificial colors and preservatives. We look forward to the Auburn community joining us on our healthy journey.”

E arth Fare is committed to partnering with the local community, schools, and like-minded businesses to inspire people from all walks of life to join the healthy journey. One way in which, Earth Fare partners with the community to make a difference is through its Itty Bitty Bites program – the company’s initiative to eliminate childhood obesity. Through a comic book series, trading cards and the battle between good and bad ingredients, Earth Fare empowers kids to make healthy choices by educating them about the foods they eat.

For more information about Earth Fare, its Food Philosophy or how Earth Fare is working to give back to the Auburn community, email Dorothy.Carlow@EarthFare.com or call (828) 281-4800 (x.169).

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About Earth Fare:

Earth Fare, founded in 1975, is an Asheville, North Carolina-based natural foods grocer. Since inception, it has grown into one of the largest natural foods retailer in the country. Earth Fare’s strict ingredient philosophy has earned them a loyal following. Today, Earth Fare continues to lead the healthy grocery movement, providing the best tasting local, natural and organic foods available.

For media tours, press kids or more information about Earth Fare, contact Dorothy Carlow .

Contact: Dorothy Carlow
dorothy.carlow@earthfare.com
Earth Fare, Inc.
828-281-4800 ext. 169

Earth Fare Aims To Eliminate Childhood Obesity with Launch of Itty Bitty Bites™

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT

FOR For ImFor Immediate Release:

Earth Fare Aims To Eliminate Childhood Obesity with Launch of Itty Bitty Bites™

Local Healthy Supermarket Celebrates Launch of Healthy Kids Initiative with Kick Off of Family Dinner Night

( Asheville , NC – March 17, 2009) – Did you know that due to the childhood obesity epidemic, this is the first generation of American children who may have shorter life expectancies than their parents? Earth Fare, the healthy supermarket, is responding to this epidemic with the introduction of the Itty Bitty Bites™ program.

Launching Wednesday, March 17 in all Earth Fare locations, Itty Bitty Bites is a fun, educational program that inspires kids to make healthy lifestyle choices. Through heroes and villains, trading cards, a comic book series and activity sheets, kids learn about good versus bad ingredients and the importance of their food choices.

The program will also feature the Itty Bitty Bites Kid’s Healthy Meal™. This meal empowers kids to make their own healthy choices by selecting from a combination of cold/hot entrees, fresh sides, snacks and drinks for only $3.99. Earth Fare guarantees that each meal will include balance, variety, taste, value and fun! Included in each meal is a pack of 3 trading cards that feature a hero, villain or location and a collectible sticker!

Earth Fare knows that tackling access and affordability are keys to fighting childhood obesity. That’s why every Thursday, starting March 18 from 4-8 p.m . , Earth Fare will host Family Dinner Night where kids eat FREE with the purchase of an adult meal valued at $5 or more.

“With the introduction of the Itty Bitty Bites program, we will provide easy access to healthy meal alternatives that are fun, affordable and educational,” says, Jack Murphy, CEO of Earth Fare. “Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the nation. With one in three children classified as either obese or overweight, Earth Fare is dedicated to doing its part to eliminate childhood obesity.”

For more information about the Itty Bitty Bites program or how Earth Fare is working with our communities to eliminate childhood obesity, email IBB@Earthfare.com or call (828) 281-4800.

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About Earth Fare:

Earth Fare, founded in 1975, is an Asheville, North Carolina-based natural foods grocer. Since inception, it has grown into the second largest natural foods retailer in the country. Earth Fare’s strict ingredient philosophy has earned them a loyal following. Today, Earth Fare continues to lead the healthy grocery movement, providing the best tasting local, natural and organic foods available.

Contact: Dorothy Carlow
dorothy.carlow@earthfare.com
Earth Fare, Inc.
828-281-4800 ext. 169

Earth Fare to Open May 12 in Huntsville

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:47:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Earth Fare to Open May 12 in Huntsville
The Healthy Supermarket Lives Up to its Name by Putting the Health of the Shopper, Planet and Community First

(HUNTSVILLE, AL – March 11, 2010) – Earth Fare, the healthy supermarket, based in Asheville, NC, will open its next store location in Huntsville, AL, on May 12 at 8 a.m. Offering a healthy variety of organic, local and nutritious foods, Earth Fare’s mission is to feed and inspire the healthy person inside us all.

The new Auburn store is good for you way beyond the fruits and vegetables that you can purchase. One way in which Earth Fare is making a difference is by reaching out to the community through its Itty Bitty Bites program. The program aims to eliminate childhood obesity through education, access, affordability and teamwork. Earth Fare is determined to change kids’ attitudes about healthy eating and to show families that healthy eating can be fun, easy and affordable.

Earth Fare makes healthy eating convenient, delicious and affordable. With ready-to-go meal options, including a grill, hot bar and prepared food case, there are selections for every diet and budget. The store also offers local and organic farm fresh fruits and vegetables, a full service antiobiotic- and hormone-free meat, a poultry and seafood department that is antibiotic- and hormone-free, a cheese department, an on-site bakery and a supplement and body care department.

Earth Fare adheres to a food philosophy that prohibits selling any of items with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats) and sweeteners. These ingredients have been linked to healthy complications such as childhood obesity. In addition to the above, Earth Fare has banned all items containing antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, preservatives and bleach or bromated flour.

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About Earth Fare:

Earth Fare, founded in 1975, is an Asheville, North Carolina-based natural foods grocer. Since inception, it has grown into the second largest natural foods retailer in the country. Earth Fare’s strict ingredient philosophy has earned them a loyal following. Today, Earth Fare continues to lead the healthy grocery movement, providing the best tasting local, natural and organic foods available.

For media tours, press kits or more information about Earth Fare, contact Dorothy Carlow.

Contact: Dorothy Carlow
dorothy.carlow@earthfare.com
Earth Fare, Inc.
828-281-4800 ext. 169

New Earth Fare Location Creates 100 Jobs In The Chattanooga Area

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

(CHATTANOOGA, TN) – Earth Fare is now accepting applications for approximately 100 positions at its newest Tennessee location in Chattanooga, scheduled to open December 9 at 8 a.m. Positions available include bakery, meat and seafood, wine and cheese, produce, vitamins and personal care, cashiers and team management.

Travis Heaton, Earth Fare’s recently named Chattanooga store manager, says, “The Chattanooga store has created over 100 jobs in the area.” He adds, “We are actively recruiting customer service-oriented people who thrive in a service environment and live our mission – To feed and inspire the healthy person inside us all.”

Heaton brings a vast knowledge and natural and organic foods to Chattanooga.

Interested applicants should contact Human Resources Recruiter, Patti Bates at (828) 281-4800, ext. 182 or patti.bates@earthfare.com .

Earth Fare Builds Strong Bones

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

What: Earth Fare, the local healthy supermarket is partnering with Garden of Life to give away free Vitamin Code Grow Bone System kits as a part of the National Bone Campaign. The Grow Bone Campaign is one of the largest giveaways in the history of natural and organic products.

On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m., Earth Fare will select 50 winners from its Grow Bone Kit Raffle to receive free bone kits valued at $53.99 each.

When: Raffle entries will be collected starting Sat., Sept. 26.

Winners will be announced Sat., October 10 at 10 a.m.

Where: At your local Earth Fare

Local Celebration - Earth Fare Hosts Local Harvest Fest

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

What: Harvest Fest - a gathering and celebration of LOCAL artists, farmers, food and craftsman

When: Saturday, September 26^th; 2pm-5pm

Where: Earth Fare

Harvest Fest Activities:

- Local farms featuring: fresh produce, nuts, jams, meats, soaps and more

- Local artisans

- Local Bakeries

- Handmade crafts

- Live Music

- Samples of local foods

- Kid's Activities

Earth Fare Draws the Line – Paper and Plastic are On the Way Out!

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

(Fletcher, NC) – This April, Earth Fare, The Healthy Supermarket, is rolling out a new program designed to reduce the number of plastic and paper bags used in its stores. The new Choose or Reuse™ program, along with the current Friend of Earth Fare bag program, will support local community organizations that are actively improving their environment.

To Choose or Reuse™? Every time a customer CHOOSES to take a new plastic or paper bag, they are asked to donate 5¢ to one of two organizations. These organizations work with either clean energy or conservation and are actively improving the environment in their respective community.

When a customer REUSES a bag or box, they are supporting the award winning Friend of Earth Fare program. For each reused bag, Earth Fare donates 5¢ to a local charity. Those nickels and dimes add up. In 2008, Earth Fare gave over $150k back to the community through this program. That’s over 1.5 million bags reused!

With an estimated 500 billion bags used worldwide each year, customers can feel good about their decision at the checkout. Whether through a donation or bringing their own bags, they are supporting those making a difference in their communities. The choice is yours – choose or reuse?

Earth Fare To Open Second Knoxville Location Late Spring 2009

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Earth Fare, the Asheville, NC-based organic and natural supermarket, is scheduled to open a second Knoxville location in Bearden near the University of Tennessee campus in Spring 2009.

Known as a leader in the natural foods industry, Earth Fare will offer the community of Bearden over 25,000 square feet of the best quality all-natural and organic foods as well as knowledgeable and friendly staff to help navigate the aisles.

The new store will occupy the space formerly held by Bi-Lo in the Forrest Park shopping center. The company plans to recycle and retrofit this store to fit its “yet-to-be-revealed” new store prototype. The Bearden Earth Fare location will be the 16th store in the southeastern company’s chain.

The decision to open a second store location in Knoxville is based largely on the success of the Turkey Creek location, which opened in 2004, and a desire to serve a vibrant and growing health-conscious community.

With a mission to feed and inspire the healthy person inside us all, Earth Fare does NOT sell products that contain: partially hydrogenated oils; high fructose corn syrup; artificial color, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners; antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or animal by-products.

Earth Fare was founded in Asheville, North Carolina in 1975, and has grown into a premier chain of natural and organic markets located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. In addition to the new Rock Hill location, 2008 plans for the company include stores in Auburn, AL and Johnson City, TN.

Earth Fare Set To Become First Supermarket Chain To Ban All Bags

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

(Asheville, NC) April, 28, 2008—North Carolina-based natural foods supermarket chain Earth Fare is set to become the first US supermarket chain to set a goal of removing all bags from their stores—paper and plastic.

Earth Fare CEO Jack Murphy announced Monday that healthy supermarket chain, in keeping with its mission and founding principles, has set a goal of eliminating all paper and plastic bags from use at the check out stands in it stores.

The plastic bag ban would go into effect in May. Paper bags would remain, but there would be a 5¢ fee for each bag, which would be donated to a local environmental charity or used to purchase carbon offset credits from local companies. As customers get used to reusing bags, the chain will seek to phase out of bag use altogether.

"Earth Fare has always promoted healthy living—for the individual, the community and the planet,” Mr. Murphy said. “We’ve had our award winning bag reuse program, the Friends of Earth Fare, since the early 1990s. The ban on bags is just a natural extension of that program.”

Asked why the chain wasn’t following the suit of some of its competitors in eliminating only plastic bags, Murphy answered, “Ultimately, that doesn’t solve the problem. Paper uses 70% more resources in production than plastic and because of the weight and size of the bags. Paper uses a much greater amount of our non-renewable resources to transport than plastic. In addition, most paper bags still end up in a landfill, and nothing really biodegrades in a landfill.”

To assist customers in making the transition to reusable bags only, Earth Fare will offer reusable bags for $1 to their customers in addition to offering higher end organic and canvas bags as well.

Even though the “bag-less” program will start in May, customers will have until June 25^th to acclimate themselves to 5¢ charge for paper. Up until that date, the fee will be an optional choice for the consumer with 100% of the proceeds going to offset carbon emissions during that time.

Earth Fare Raises $100,000 for Local Non-Profit Organizations While Saving One Million Paper & Plastic Bags

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Anyone who shops at Earth Fare knows that the answer to the question, “Paper or plastic?” isn’t a simple yes or no. Instead, many customers prefer to say, “I brought my own bag.” This action results not only in the conservation of non-renewable resources, but also gives back to the local community in a big way.

In 2007, Earth Fare, with the help of its customers, raised approximately $100,000 through the “Friends of Earth Fare” bag recycling program. All funds raised through this award-winning program are given directly to worthy, local non-profits selected by each Earth Fare store.

The “Friends of Earth Fare” bag recycling program is an easy way to give back. When customers bring their own bag to shop instead of taking a new one, Earth Fare donates 10 cents per bag to a selected local non-profit who is the “Friend” of the month.

“Ten cents may not sound like much, but all those dimes do add up to a large amount of money,” says Troy DeGroff, director of sales and marketing at Earth Fare. “Not to mention that in 2007 alone, our customers saved over one million plastic and paper bags from going into circulation.”

The “Friends of Earth Fare” program has been a vital part of Earth Fare’s community outreach for 15 years. “Not only does this program help everyone conserve non-renewable resources used in the production of both paper and plastic bags, it helps immediately impact the health of our communities by supporting local organizations,” says DeGroff.