Bashas' to Open Natural/Organic Foods Market

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Bashas' plans to open its first natural and organic foods market next year in a vacant Bashas' store in an upscale central Phoenix location.

According to published reports, the store, called Ike's Farmers' Market, the store will enter Bashas' into the burgeoning healthy supermarket scene, joining Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Henry's Farmers Markets, Sunflower Market, Trader Joe's, and Sprouts Farmers Markets, all which have stores in the area.

Bashas' grocery store banners already include its namesake supermarket, the Hispanic-themed Food City chain, and AJ's Fine Foods.

Company officials traveled the country, checking out similar concepts in places like New York and California's Bay Area, and for two years worked to develop the concept, creating a "high-end organic and natural food store with extremely competitive prices," said Johnny Basha, son of co-founder Ike Basha, in the reports.