This is part one of a two-part series on Meijer Fairfax Market and three local entrepreneurs who are thriving at the new market.

The opening of the 40,000-square-foot Meijer Fairfax Market on Tuesday, Jan. 16, has been a long time coming, and a much-needed resource in the Fairfax neighborhood.

“For many years there has not been a grocery store—a quality grocery store with healthy, affordable food—in the neighborhood,” says Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation (FRDC) executive director Denise VanLeer, who has worked on bringing a grocery store to the area since at least 2017.

The market is part of the $52.8 million Innovation Square Neighborhood Plan—a collaborative effort between FRDC,  Cleveland Clinic, the City of Cleveland, Fairmount Properties, and Meijer, Inc. The store, along with the apartments on the upper levels of the building, are part of the $500 million Cleveland Innovation District project. The community partners broke ground on the project in December 2021.

“The residents and other stakeholders wanted somewhere where they could walk to, with healthy affordable food and within walking distance of public transportation,” VanLeer explains. “It's not only the food aspect, but jobs and the small businesses that are in the grocery store.”

Meijer Fairfax MarketVanLeer says the closest grocery stores—a now-closed grocery store on Payne Avenue, the new Dave’s Markets on East 61st Street, a grocery store in Church Square, a Dave’s in Buckeye-Shaker, and an Aldi on Euclid Avenue and East 75th Street—are not easily accessible for residents in the Fairfax neighborhood, which sits between Euclid and Woodland Avenues and East 71st Street and East 105th Street.

“There was nothing walkable,” she says. “So this is a good thing, it's a wonderful thing. People are very excited. The day when the store [first] opened at 6 a.m. [on Jan. 16], people were already there. Since then, people are like, ‘I went to the store and I'm seeing people that I work with; some folks from the Cleveland Clinic are seeing some of their patients or other people they work with. So it's an awesome thing.”

Fairfax Market is the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer Inc.’s fifth neighborhood market, and its first outside of Michigan. The Fairfax store employs about 50 people who earn competitive wages, have access to health and education benefits, and a company-matched 401(k) program.

Fairfax Market store manager Alan Jordan and his team opened the doors at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 with cheers and a round of applause from eager customers and officials. A ribbon-cutting event featured remarks from VanLeer, Ward 6 Cleveland City Council member and council president Blaine Griffin, Cleveland Clinic CEO and president Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, Meijer executive chairman Hank Meijer, and Meijer president and CEO Rick Keyes.

Full service with healthy, local food

The market is a full-service grocery with fresh meat and deli items, fresh produce, a bakery, and both Meijer and national brand items.

“We have a full service produce department with a 52-foot wet rack with conventional and organic greens, herbs, peppers—things of that nature,” says Jordan. “We have a full assortment of fresh produce and cut produce that we're getting in locally from Produce Packaging in Willoughby Hills, and we get produce deliveries seven days a week, so our product is constantly coming in fresh.”

Jordan adds Meijer has also partnered with Ohio City-based Sanson Produce, which provides 40 different local produce items, “Right now, we have Bauman's Orchards apples, which is a local Ohio orchard,” he says. “We have a three-pound bag for $3. It’s truly fresh, local, and a value for the community.”

Meijer Fairfax MarketBeing a true local market in a neighborhood that, up until three weeks ago, was deemed a food desert by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a priority for Meijer and the Fairfax neighborhood, says Jordan.

Aside from offering the typical groceries Meijer carries, the market caters to the needs of neighborhood residents, Cleveland Clinic employees, and Case Western Reserve University students.

“We have that ability to be reflective of what the community wants and needs,” says Jordan. “And if they don't see something, they can let us know and we can go out and try to get it in for them.”

The 22-foot vegan section has plenty of locally made vegan items, from vitamins to candy, says Jordan. “We have things for students at Case Western—whether it's like some simple school supplies or the never-ending supply of ramen that the kids need.”

The store emphasizes its support for local entrepreneurs and small businesses—working with more than 150 local vendors that have more than 2,000 locally made products throughout the store. VanLeer cites Micah's Supreme Sauce, PUR Spices, Akron Honey, and Lemon Waves as just some of the regional vendors.

“We are truly a neighborhood market in the purest sense,” he says. “We have embraced local in a genuine and authentic way—to the point where I can almost guarantee that you could walk up and down every aisle and find something local.”

The international section features items from around the world, while there is a large assortment of local beer and wine, a floral department, and a gift shop with items like PaperCutz Vintage greeting cards and posters and paper flowers by Love, Anji. A 54-seat café serves coffee, sandwiches, salads and other items from Saucy Coffee (an offshoot of Saucy BrewWorks) and sushi from Hissho Sushi.

Uniting the community

On the south side of the building, at the parking ramp, is a colorful mural depicting fresh produce that was designed and painted by local artist Glen Infante and his team.

Mural outside of Meijer Fairfax Market by artist Glen InfanteJordan says the community’s reception to the new market has been overwhelming. “There have been folks coming from 6 a.m. and we had folks outside waiting for us when we opened on January 16,” he says. “We still have shoppers at 10 p.m. each night, so there are definitely folks who are excited and engaged with us being here.”

He adds that customers have been coming from all over Cleveland and the inner ring suburbs. When I left for a few hours to grab a bite to eat, I saw a bunch of college kids walking over from Case Western,” he says. “It's great that we're able to service all the different folks in this amazing community because it's incredibly diverse culturally and financially. Being able to be a real resource and a hub for the community is just a fantastic experience.”

Jordan says he wants Meijer Fairfax Market to be an anchor in the neighborhood—offering not only fresh food, but also access to educational and healthcare services 

“We want to be more than just a grocery store—we want to be a hub for the community, a place where people can learn and connect and gather and get the fresh foods that they want and discover a new favorite or local item” he says. “We're also looking at doing healthy shopping classes with some physicians from the Clinic or from Case Western.

Alan Jordan, Store Director at Meijer Fairfax Market“We're having conversations about [holding] having healthy cooking classes to teach people how to cook healthier and differently,” Jordan continues. “And [we’re talking] about doing fun things—like learning how to build charcuterie trays.”

Jordan says he especially wants to cater to the senior Fairfax customers and will launch a Senior Citizens Day, when seniors get a 10% discount on their purchases on Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I want to do a senior yoga day so seniors can come in and stretch their dollar and their bodies as well—something fun and kind of different,” he says, adding that he plans to respond to the neighborhood needs.

“The nice thing with us being a neighborhood market in the truest sense is that we can be reflective of the community because the community here isn't one note—it is incredibly diverse,” Jordan explains.

The wait is over

FRDC’s VanLeer says the Fairfax residents have been waiting a long time for something like what Meijer offers the neighborhood.

“It was something that we've been master planning for many years,” VanLeer says. “During that process, we always heard the residents wanted somewhere with healthy, affordable food within walking distance of public transportation. But it's not only the food aspect, but jobs and the small businesses that are in the grocery store.”

VanLeer says it took almost a decade to acquire the land and develop the plan. “People don't realize how much time it takes to do these projects,” she says. “But it's all worth it when you have a ribbon cutting like we did. So it's awesome.”

New living options

The Market is capped by Fairmount Properties’ four-story Medley—a combination of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments with seven floor plans.

Medley apartment interiorThe kitchens have quartz countertops, wood-inspired flooring, stainless steel appliances, and two-tone cabinetry. Every unit has washers and dryers, and some units have dining rooms, dens, and balconies. There are plenty of outdoor community spaces and Medley is pet friendly.

“Two of the four floors are completed, and people are actually moving into the building already,” says VanLeer.

Additionally, just south of Meijer Fairfax Market and Medley, FRDC has been working with development partner St. Louis-based McCormack Baron Salazar on the 82-unit Aura at Innovation Square, 2260 E. 105th St., with 30% of the 82 units deemed affordable.

Floor plans span studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units and amenities include a rooftop deck, fitness center, and resident lounge.

“We're scheduled to cut the ribbon in March,” VanLeer says, “and we're already pre-leasing.”

Meijer Fairfax Market’s regular hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The market is located at 2190 E. 105th St., at the corner if East 105th Street and Cedar Road.

Editor’s note: In tomorrow’s issue of FreshWater, we will profile three local entrepreneurs who are already thriving with their products at Meijer Fairfax Market: D’s Sweet Treats & More, Catlin Naturals, and O Taste & C.