Michigan Food Retailers Bend the Rules of Grocery Shopping with Local Food, Drinks and More
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Perhaps a Tripadvisor reviewer said it best, “This place is a food amusement park.”
The reviewer was raving about Horrocks Farm Market, but the comment could have been talking about any number of Michigan’s unique food retailers who are bending the rules of shopping and eating, making shopping a destination. Learn about two of the distinctive purveyors offering fun and entertaining foodie experiences.
A Capital Idea
Opened by Michigan-based grocer Meijer, Capital City Market, which is part of a mixed-use development, brings a long-awaited grocery store to downtown Lansing. While the market features Meijer and national brand products, it places a heavy emphasis on fresh produce and local and artisan groceries. When it opened in fall 2020, Capital City Market was the first of its kind in mid-Michigan.
“The market is focused on bringing customers a mix of fresh, local and convenient food at low prices,” store director Robert Lajcaj says. He says customers appreciate the selection of local products, including Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecakes, greens from Revolution Farms, Drench Dressings for salads and marinades, Alicia’s Authentic Mexican, Groovy Donuts and Stone Circle Bakehouse, to name a few.
“My team works diligently to make sure we’re sourcing as many items as possible from Lansing businesses, followed by Michigan-owned companies,” Lajcaj says. “Meijer has a longstanding commitment to supporting local, and that philosophy extends to our small-format stores.”
In addition to grocery items, the store offers a coffee bar, fresh sushi, Fresh & Fast meal options, a deli, fresh florals and plants, and an extensive beer, wine and spirits selection.
“Capital City Market is not only a grocery store but a part of the community,” Lajcaj says. “We love helping to bring fresh food to the downtown Lansing community at a good value.”
See more: Exploring the Supply Chain: How Local Food Gets From Farm to Table
Say Hello to Horrocks
offering a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, beers, wines, baked goods and more. Photo credit: Seth Nelson
Adam Horrocks loves hearing customers define his family’s business as a food amusement park. Now involving the third generation, this company has been serving the Lansing area for more than 60 years. Their offerings include a comprehensive and unique variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, a deli, cheeses, beer and wine, a seasonal garden center, freshly roasted coffee beans, gourmet popcorn, hand-dipped caramel apples, baked goods and more.
“To us, this is all we know, so often I lose sight of how unique we are to people,” says Horrocks, one of the owners.
Grab freshly made soup, wraps or pizza for lunch. Enjoy an adult beverage while you peruse the varieties of vinegars and olive oils you can bottle yourself. Then, treat a special someone to fresh flowers. Outside, a food truck is parked by the beer garden, and many nights live music is featured.
According to Horrocks, food has always been at the core of the family business.
“From farming to a produce stall at the Lansing city market to a small roadside produce stand to what it is today, produce has always been the pillar,” he says.
Adding a second location in Battle Creek about 20 years ago, growth has occurred naturally based on relationships with other local Michigan businesses stretching back 50 years, over multiple generations.
“These relationships are important to us and allow us to be flexible in the retail space,” Horrocks says.
He agrees the company strives to be not only a place to shop for groceries but an experience. “The ‘market’ as a concept is ubiquitous for as long as people have lived together,” he says. “It’s a place for people to come together, be entertained and exchange ideas, goods and services. I think we try to embody that as much as possible.”
See more: Michigan’s Farmers Markets Have a Storied Past and a Bright Future