Brighton Business Spotlight: Simply Fresh Market Sells Local Fruits and Vegetables at Wholesale Prices

Anthony and Nicholas Gelardi are fourth generation brothers in the family business of supplying fresh produce to restaurants.

A little more than two years ago, they opened Simply Fresh Market on Grand River Ave., near Whitmore Lake Road.

"We just wanted a place to get fresh, local, Michigan-made products and we decided Brighton was in need of it," Anthony said. "So that was when the idea was created to open up an old-fashioned fruit market."

Simply Fresh Market opened as a roadside stand in May of 2009. The brothers moved indoors that September.

"We're extremely happy with the support the community has given us," Nicholas said.

The market carries a full line of fresh produce, mainly seasonal items.

"We try to go outside of the box of what you can get at the grocery stores," Nicholas said. "You'll see oddball items in our store, too. Right now we've got chanterelle mushrooms and Pattypan sunburst squash. You're not going to get everyday at the grocery store."

Anthony added that even though Michigan strawberry season is over, the store still carries strawberries from Florida or other states because the store carries a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables.

"We really focus on keeping our prices competitive with the grocery stores - it's something we do on a daily basis," Nicholas said.

The brothers said they are all about local farming and local agriculture, as they both live and work in Brighton.

"If we had a theme, Michigan-made products would be it," Anthony said.

"We live it in our personal lives too," Nicholas added. "Everybody that we do business with - for our business - we try to support local companies. And then as far as for my personal stuff, I go to all local places as much as I can."

Anthony said they are beggining to stress organic products and have been searching for local organic farmers.

"If you buy organic produce from California, the freight is really expensive, just for that truck," Anthony said. "So the closer we can get stuff from our own town, we're burning less fossil fuel so it's better for the environment, it's cheaper and we're supporting local agriculture which creates more jobs locally."

Simply Fresh Market is located at 9984 East Grand River Avenue, near Whitmore Lake Rd.