A Peek Inside Fresh Thyme’s Latest Pittsburgh Location

On opening day, approximately 700 people were eagerly waiting at 7 a.m. for the doors to open.

The store in the bustling northern suburb of Cranberry Township, Pa., is Fresh Thyme’s third location in western Pennsylvania, following openings in in Bridgeville and Pleasant Hills over the past year. The Downers Grove, Ill.-based specialty grocer began opening its fresh-focused stores—whose tagline is “Healthy Food. Healthy Values”— in 2014 and operates roughly 80 locations today.

At the store entrance, Fresh Thyme built an eye-catching display of pineapples and mangoes that were priced to move at 99 cents each. There were also many other hot grand opening deals throughout the store, which prominently plays up fresh produce.

The right side of the store features a series of signature fresh offerings, such as a self-service bakery, made-to-order pizza, sandwiches and sushi, a Boar's Head deli, and a wide assortment of meals to go. The store also features a sit-down area for customers to enjoy their meals on site.

The bakery is the first department customers see upon entering the store. Interesting to note about Fresh Thyme's bakery is its integrated product mix, which features both in-store and commercial aisle baked goods, such as artisan and specialty breads, rolls, muffins, strudels and cheesecake, alongside their DSD counterparts. The bakery department also offers take-and-bake bread varieties as well as a stand-alone case for cookies, pastries, muffins and doughnuts.

Among the wide array of prepared foods, six fresh soup options are available at the expansive salad bar, which is priced at $5.99 per pound.

5 Generation Bakers' Northeast sales manager, Scott Hollabaugh, was on hand for Fresh Thyme's grand opening festivities to ensure that shoppers' needs were met for the Pittsburgh-based company's famous Jenny Lee Swirl Bread, which Hollabaugh says is "considered by our fans to be the best cinnamon swirl bread in the world."

The self-service olive and antipasto bar features roughly 30 different options, all priced at $6.99 per pound.

The cheese island features more than 100 varieties of imported and domestic top-quality, affordably priced specialty cheeses ranging from Bries to blue, cheddar to colby, and goat to Gouda. 

Customers can refresh and recharge at the large fresh-cut fruit and veggie station, which offers seasonal varieties of juice blends, infused waters, lemonades and orange juices made fresh in-store daily, as well as cut-to-order fruit. The station also features an integrated selection of refrigerated juice and beverage brands.

Fresh produce plays a lead role in Fresh Thyme stores, which at peak periods carry about 900 conventional, organic and fresh value-added items.
 

Fresh Thyme's full-service meat and seafood department offers cut-to-order steaks and two dozen varieties of fresh sausage made in-store daily. The store's meat and seafood staff also offer free marinades and custom-cuts.

All mushrooms carried in the Cranberry Fresh Thyme are organic.

The pristine wet-rack produce display was set to perfection on opening day by the new store's produce team.

Fresh Thyme's line of organic and natural private label products are a primary focus of the value-priced fresh, healthy, natural and organic retailer's offerings. On grand opening day, the retailer's own-brand pizza, waffles and flash-frozen fruit were among the lead items.

At the entrance of the store's bulk department is local honey, maple syrup and organic agave nectar in canisters that allow customers to dispense it in quantities of their choosing.

Approximately 400 food bins make up the large bulk department, where customers choose from more than 40 different kinds of nuts, including for fresh-ground peanut butter, as well an array of coffee in whole bean or ground formats, candy and much more.

Fresh pizza is made around the clock. The store is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Fresh Thyme carries an array of CBD products in its wellness department, including body lotions that it integrates on shelves, and a more extensive selection of oral formulations in a locked glass case.

Another highlight of the Cranberry Fresh Thyme is an adult beverage department featuring a wide selection of craft beers, wines, spiked seltzers and limited-edition brews.