Five months after reopening in St. Johns County, Earth Fare is closing.
The supermarket sent a customer email Jan. 30 that it will shut the store at 120 Shops Blvd. in the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway.
“Earth Fare St. Johns Store Permanently Closing,” the email said.
A sale of “20% Off Entire Store” started Jan. 30. Hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
At the Earth Fare, signs are posted that it will close. A clerk said that is expected in two weeks.
The natural, specialty and organic grocer did not state a reason for the closing. The store is at County Road 210 West and St. Johns Parkway.
The store phone system the morning of Jan. 30 directed calls into a voicemail. The marketing staff at the corporate office did not respond to an email.
As of 1 p.m., few items remained in the fresh seafood and meat displays. The deli display had a few bulk offerings, but most of the products were separately packaged.
There appeared to be plenty of fresh produce.
Center-store shelves appeared full. Refrigerators and freezers were stocked, while the bakery had a dwindling supply of fresh baked goods.
Many customers filled their carts, appearing to stock up on favorite products.
The Earth Fare’s grand opening was Aug. 18 as it returned to Northeast Florida after closing its three area stores in February 2020.
Earth Fare and shopping center owner Sleiman Enterprises said in a Jan. 14, 2021, news release the store would reopen at the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway.
“This is a growing area and desirable location with great demographics,” said Randy Tally, co-founder, chief sustainability officer and director of leasing at Earth Fare.
The store initially opened in October 2019 and closed in February 2020, along with the rest of the chain when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Supermarket News reported in July 2021 the Asheville, North Carolina, chain was reopening stores after an investment from Hulsing Enterprises, also of Asheville, and the founders of Earth Fare.
Earth Fare opened its first area store in 2014 in the Atlantic North shopping center at 11901 Atlantic Blvd. In 2017, It opened in the Mandarin South Shopping Center at 11700 San Jose Blvd. The last was the St. Johns store in 2019.
The Atlantic North space remains available. Winn-Dixie took the space at Mandarin South.
In February 2020, Earth Fare announced that it was going out of business and planned to sell off its assets, at the time including more than 50 stores in 10 states. The company, at the time majority-owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners and an affiliate, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Over the following months, buyers of the closed Earth Fare stores included Southeastern Grocers’ Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods Market and Aldi.
An investor group led by Asheville businessman Dennis Hulsing, president and CEO of Hulsing Enterprises, plus Earth Fare co-founder Randy Talley and Mike Cianciarulo, former CEO of Earth Fare from 1998 to 2007, acquired the Earth Fare banner in March 2020 with the aim of relaunching the chain.
Earth Fare’s website lists more than 20 stores in the Carolinas, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee and Ohio. Cianciarulo serves as president, with Talley as chief sustainability officer.
Earth Fare says two are coming soon in Florida, in Oldsmar and in Cleveland.
