The Fresh Market opens to big reception

The new Fresh Market is open in Rehoboth Beach, the national chain's first venture in Delaware.

Opening at 8 a.m., June 8, The Fresh Market’s parking lot was packed with shoppers, who found a store with something for everyone, such as hand sliced cheese, freshly made sushi and coffee.

Store manager Ricky Sprinkle said, “We had a line starting out front before 8 a.m. We’ve had some tremendous feedback from some of the visitors coming into the store. It’s been very, very positive.”

The Fresh Market has 200 different cheeses, hand-cut meats and over 400 selections of produce, Sprinkle said. The sushi is made fresh every day by certified, on-staff sushi chefs.

The grand opening included the “cracking of the parmesan” as a ribbon-cutting, free coffee and free shopping bags to the first 1,000 customers, with chef demonstrations throughout the day. Demonstrations and sampling will continue until Saturday, June 11.

Gail Schmidt of Lewes was impressed.

“I’m thrilled. Our stores are all generic, and I don’t like grocery shopping, so this makes the experience much better,” she said. “I’m really happy.”

This was Schmidt’s first time at a Fresh Market - most of the chain’s stores are in its home state of North Carolina. Schmidt said she prefers Trader Joe’s, but Fresh Market is a bigger alternative.

“This is the next best thing,” she said.

The Fresh Market - at the corner of Shuttle Road and Route 1 - is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.