Better Health Market and Cafe opens new location in Dearborn
Better Health Market and Cafe officially opened its doors to its newest location in downtown west Dearborn.
The market is in the former Merchant's Fine Wine store at 22250 Michigan Ave., which closed in the summer of 2020.
It's the 14th location and one of the largest for the family owned, Michigan-based Better Health Market chain.
“We are excited to open this new location in walkable, downtown west Dearborn to offer even more Dearborn residents and employees in the city, a larger selection of fresh prepared foods and products to help them live a healthier lifestyle,” Tedd Handelsman, founder and president of Better Health Store said in a news release. “Our family legacy is focused on creating stores that are judgement-free — to help Michigan become a healthier state. ”
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The chain got its start as a small health food store offering vitamins and supplements more than 20 years ago.
This Michigan Avenue store replaces the chain's smaller Better Health Store on Telegraph in Dearborn, which closed.
Covering 15,000 square feet, the market carries fresh produce, a full line of groceries that are natural, organic, locally grown and non-GMO-foods.
More than 80% of the store's produce is organic at competitive pricing, Handelsman said.
"We are smaller and leaner and we've been able to keep prices competitive," he said.
The new store is comfortable and spacious. Though they offer more than 10,000 products, shelves are not cluttered and things are easy to find. Each aisle is named after main Dearborn streets such as Michigan Avenue, Ford Road, Greenfield, and Rotunda.
"They (the aisle names) give it a local feel," Handelsman said. "It's fun."
There is aisle after aisle of vitamins and supplements, something for which Better Health Markets are known, along with a selection of organic health and beauty items.
The more than 10,000 products are wide-ranging and cover the gamut, from dairy-free to plant-based and keto. There are several lines of low-carb items, including pasta selections.
"It's become a lifestyle for people who don't want carbs or sugars," Handelsman said. "For everything that is high carb, there's a keto alternative. "Plant-based items are also really popular."
The store has a vast amount of healthy snacks foods, international foods, dairy and cheeses, meat and meat alternatives.
"We have everything you need for a healthy lifestyle," Handelsman said.
Beer and wine offerings include Michigan wine and sulfite-free, vegan, biodynamic wine, gluten-free and locally brewed craft beer.
From the cafe menu are plenty of fresh and prepared food offerings to order to go or eat in. There are burgers made with Michigan sourced grass-fed beef or the plant-based Beyond Burger, sandwiches, wraps, and deli salads are among the items offered from the in-store cafe and bakery. There are also fresh made smoothies and juices. You can order online or in-store.
Some of the market's specialty items include its Michigan Vegan Better Health Whopper, vegan and keto cookies. The cafe also has a fresh salad bar with organic offerings and a hot foods bar with prepared soups and meals.
Inside, there is cafe seating and there will be outdoor seating on the Michigan Avenue side. The main entrance to the store is in the parking lot area off of Garrison.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Better Health Market and Cafe new store opens in Dearborn
