Downers Grove, IL—Fresh Thyme Farmers Marketreportedly will be closing three locations on November 16: Lakeside (Omaha) and Grand Island, Nebraska; and Ames, Iowa, according to theOmaha World-Herald.  TheWorld-Heraldshared a statement from Fresh Thyme President and CEO Chris Sherrell: “Like any organization experiencing rapid growth and expansion, sometimes we need to optimize our approach and make changes if something isn’t working. We are continuing to refine our real estate strategy, but sometimes certain stores are simply not as successful as others.”

TheLouisville Courier Journalquoted Sherrell as saying, “We take the well-being of our staff very seriously—this was not an easy decision for us. We will do everything we can to ease this transition for them. We will continue our mission of making fresh, organic food accessible and affordable.”

In July 2019, Fresh Thyme closed its Dayton, Ohio, location. In August, the location in St. Matthews, Kentucky, closed.
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The closings come after Fresh Thyme announced new leadership promotions and additions in June, 2019, with Dean Little promoted to Chief Operating Officer, overseeing Store Operations, New Store Development, Real Estate, Construction, Asset Protection and Distribution Center Operations; and Tod Pepin joining the company as Chief Merchandising Officer. In a press release announcing the staffing, Sherrell said, “As we continue our commitment to making fresh, organic food accessible to all, we are incredibly happy to promote and bring on these innovative leaders whose passion matches our own. We are confident these talented executives will offer fresh ideas, deliver new innovations and lead the company to continued success.”

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