Sharon Farm Market: 'Clean and quality!'

SHARON —  The surfaces were gleaming and owner Chris Choe’s face was beaming on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after the “soft opening†of the Sharon Farm Market on Monday at 1 p.m.

“The opening was very good,†he reported. The store and parking lot were packed. Several people came back for repeat visits; one family came five times, he said. “We were packed. It’s a good beginning.â€

The buzz around town was tremendous. Sharon residents made multiple posts online at facebook.com with photos and rave reviews. Many cited the cleanliness of the store.

“Clean and quality,†Choe said Tuesday morning. “That’s the way we’re going to keep it.â€

Choe and his wife, Annie, took over the store last February and had hoped to open it in summer. The extensive renovations took longer than anticipated, though. The Choes also took the time to find quality vendors to have mini-shops within the market.

Those vendors include  Center Plate Meat, Blue Sea Seafood, Toro Sushi (which will open in one to two weeks). Mizza’s will also open in another week or two; a new machine is on its way for making brick oven pizza on site.

Lee Kennedy and Alex Elliot of Sharon moved their Jam fine foods boutique out of its space on nearby Calkinstown Road and now have a bakery and deli at the Farm Market. The Chef Shop in Great Barrington is selling kitchen supplies.

Shoppers said they were pleased to see not only an extensive selection of fresh produce but also shelves full of staples. Prices were also deemed to be affordable.

There were already some “sale†items. Butcher Linc Jones said he and his wife, Susan, said they will offer high-quality low-cost meats by eliminating the middle man.

“We’re all very excited to be here,†Lee Kennedy said. “We’re very enthusiastic and hope that this is going to be a great place.â€

Dee Dee (Donovan) Mandino, whose family owns the shopping center, said, “We are so excited for the Choes and everyone involved in the community who has helped with this. We think it’s going to be a wonderful store.â€

The Choes owned and operated four  grocery stores  and the Midori Sushi Restaurant, all on Long Island in New York.

They moved to Amenia over the summer. Their youngest daughter is attending Webutuck High School; they have three children.

Joseph “Skip†Trotta, who owned Trotta’s market, has been helping the Choe family set up the market.

The Sharon Farm Market will be open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., until Mizza’s opens, then the hours will extend to 9 p.m. Sunday hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, call 860-397-5161 or e-mail sharonfarmmarket@gmail.com.

Cynthia Hochswender contributed to this story.

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