The McEwen’s Fresh Market

When I think of the McEwen’s Fresh Market, I think of the apple tree it resembles.

When you first bite into a ripe red apple, and feel the crunch as the fresh juice runs into the corners of your lips, have you ever stopped to think of the entire process of how it got here? A small ruby red piece of fruit, which you can hold in one hand, has even smaller seeds in the core. These seeds, with the right nurturing and care, can grow into an apple tree that quadruples us in size.

This now strong and mighty apple tree has the longest lifespan of all the fruit trees, so it will stand tall providing shade and producing yields to share with hungry hands, for generations to come.

If you have been to Wilsonville, chances are you have visited the local farmers market at some point. McEwen’s Fresh Market is located right across the street from the school and within walking distance for many homes in the area.

At 19 years old, Sammy McEwen was just out of the Navy when he and his wife first purchased the general store, which they soon turned into the McEwen Mercantile Co. in 1946.

With $300, a few shopping carts and a lot of hard work, the McEwen’s store quickly became the place to go for freshly grown produce, dry goods, farm supplies and hardware.

In 1961, the grocery/hardware store expanded becoming the largest in Shelby County at the time. They also went from credit to cash, which helped them keep prices low. Later, Sammy McEwen joined three other independents becoming the Giant Foods advertising group.

As the store continued to prosper, the McEwen family was growing as well. Their daughter Melissa grew up gaining knowledge and a love for the business. After she moved away for college the McEwen’s sold the store but returned from retirement five years later making it a grocery store much like it is now.

In 2008, Melissa also came back adding touch screen computer scanners, renovating, and changing the store name to McEwen’s Fresh Market, where it still thrives today.

They are open each day of the week continually offering specials, and they offer a rewards program with the reward cards available at the location to any customer. The market has a huge variety of fresh foods, and the meat cutter will assemble your specifications even offering gator meat! You can also order carry-out services, deli trays, and produce gift baskets. Sammy is still there making service a priority, and there are 22 other employees making it the best it can be.