Development Group to Build New Earth Fare Grocery Store in Christiansburg, Virginia

CHRISTIANSBURG, VA. — A group of developers will build a new prototype of the specialty grocer in Christiansburg. Walt Rector, founding principal of Flagstaff, Ariz.-based Bromont Investments, and investment partner Chris Carlsen, are leading the development of the Earth Fare, which will be located within  Christiansburg Marketplace. The new store will feature a smaller footprint than previous Earth Fare stores. Fletcher, N.C.-based Earth Fare closed all of its 46 stores and filed for bankruptcy in February. Randy Talley, cofounder of the original Earth Fare, and Dennis Hulsing, an Asheville, N.C.-based investor, teamed up to acquire shuttered Earth Fare locations in mid-April, as well as the grocer’s trade name. The Christiansburg location is slated to open in spring 2021. The investors have also recently reopened closed Earth Fare stores in Roanoke, Va.; and Asheville and Boone, N.C. Other tenants at Marketplace at Christianburg include AspenDental, Chipotle, Elegant Nails, Harbor Freight, Mission BBQ, Orangetheory Fitness, Sandros, Skyline Bank, Starbucks and Verizon.