Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Ballard Market gets facelift

By MATTHEW PREUSCH

The Ballard Market Thriftway has begun costly renovations that, when completed next spring, will give the popular grocery store a translucent vaulted facade and an expanded market floor. But traditionalists need not fret: the Market's owners have no plans to turn the neighborhood market into a bulk super-store.

Larry Nikata, president of Town and Country Markets Inc., which owns Ballard Market, said the decision to go ahead with the multi-million dollar renovation followed the successful negotiating of a new lease for the site.

"We now have an opportunity to stay in Ballard for another 32 years," Nikata said. He unveiled plans to renovate the Ballard Market to general approval at the Ballard Chamber of Commerce meeting in November.

Signs of change are already evident. Fencing lines the front of the market, and the aging awning was removed in early November. Steve Williams, manager of the Ballard Market, said interior renovations would be delayed until after the holiday rush.

"That's when all the heavy stuff is going to happen," Williams said. The target date for completion of the renovation project is March 15.

So what can customers look to? An additional 1,200 square feet of store space, that will include a floral department. Also, two new coolers, which will allow the store to expand its produce, deli and meat sections.

Williams said the store will focus on being a "fresh market" with a strong emphasis on offering natural and organic foods. The store will also gain a new motto: "Experience Fresh the Ballard Way."

The changes, Williams said, are largely a response to shifts in consumer tastes.

"We're an independent operator and we have the ability to get into a community and listen to what the community is asking for," Williams said. "And we can tailor our marketing and our services to the neighborhood we're in."

Ballard Market has 110 employees, and has had a low turnover in staff, said Williams, who has been with the market since it opened 17 years ago. He said it is likely that the store will add more positions after the renovation, but he could not say how many.

Nikata's father started Town and Country Markets on Bainbridge Island in 1957 with a store of the same name that is still open in Winslow. The company has grown into a small chain, with five additional stores in North Seattle and Kitsap County and annual sales of about $120 million.

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Ballard Market Thriftway is located at 1400 NW 56th St.