Earth Fare
Earth Fare is an American health and wellness supermarket with 14 locations across six southeastern states. It sells natural and organic foods and says its products meet very high standards, avoiding artificial additives, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones, and antibiotics. The chain also emphasizes local produce with a 100-mile commitment to stock as much as possible from nearby farms.
The first Earth Fare opened in 1975 in Asheville, North Carolina, originally called Dinner for the Earth. It became Earth Fare in 1994 and grew from a small specialty store into a larger full-service supermarket. At its peak, Earth Fare had about 50 stores in 10 states. Oak Hill Capital bought the chain in 2012.
Earth Fare kept a long list of ingredients it would not allow in its products (about 140 items) and even offered $50 gift cards if customers spotted a forbidden ingredient in a product.
In February 2020, Earth Fare announced it would close and liquidate all stores due to financial struggles. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and all locations were closed by February 25, 2020.
A few months later, an Asheville-based investor group began reviving the brand. The Westgate store in Asheville reopened on June 22, 2020, followed by openings in Roanoke, Virginia and Boone, North Carolina. The revival plan included more reopenings and a new store in Christiansburg, Virginia, which opened in early 2021.
As of 2025, Earth Fare operates 14 locations in six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. Some former locations closed during the revival period (for example, Gainesville, Florida, and Fairfax, Virginia in 2020; Portage, Michigan in 2023; and Canton, Ohio in 2025) as the chain adjusts after the bankruptcy. The company remains focused on natural and organic foods, supports local produce where possible, and continues its high product-standards approach.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:00 (CET).