A niche grocery chain with a selection of natural foods and other amenities is on schedule for a spring opening in Missoula’s Midtown neighborhood, the owners of Southgate Mall said Tuesday.
Lucky’s Market made public its plans to open its second Montana store last February and will join the AMC dine-in theater as Southgate Mall’s newest additions. Both are set to open early this year.
“We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Missoula community and serving as Missoula’s new one-stop shop,” said store founder Bo Sharon. “Lucky’s Market takes the price out of natural foods and has something for everyone.”
Sharon, who founded the store with his wife in 2003, has established a number of Lucky’s across the country, most of them located in eastern and midwestern states. The company claims a store in Boulder, Colorado, and Billings.
Among its offerings, the market prides itself on its selection natural foods and specialty choices, including organic and locally sourced food. It also offers a juice bar, bulk foods and an in-house cafe with grab-and-go meals and a ramen bar.
For the owners of Southgate Mall, who have undertaken a multi-phased redevelopment of the mall and its surrounding property, the store serves as a welcome new anchor.
“Southgate is transitioning into a mixed-use town center, which provides daily-use services to our neighborhood and our community,” said Peter Lambros of Southgate Mall Associates. “Lucky’s Market is a cornerstone of our redevelopment plans.”
The new market will occupy a portion of the former Sears building and employ around 150 people, the company said. While early plans for a “sip-n-stroll” were quashed by state law, the store will including an apothecary department, enabling customers to blend their own teas, salves and elixirs.
“We looked country-wide for a grocer that provides quality, organic food choices, at mainstream price points,” said Lambros. “We’ve long imagined the day that Southgate could provide its neighborhood and its community with a market, and we are thrilled that it is Lucky’s.”