Over a few days 40 years ago, the community rallied to keep a farmers market open for business after a fire destroyed its home of three years.
Now a local developer is excited to modernize and expand Jim's Farmers Market for generations to come.
Brian Zoeller and his wife bought the popular market, which is located in a former railroad roundhouse at 255 Grant Street, late last summer. He focuses his work on bringing old buildings back to life in new ways, so it was a perfect project to take on.
Zoeller said he has big ideas to evolve the farmers market while paying tribute to the building's former life as a train maintenance facility. Look closely in the back parking lot and you can still see a circle where a revolving platform once stood.
"This notion of community was really important, and I thought, boy, if we could keep the staying power and the history and the tradition of the market and develop the building out, we could make it a little more contemporary and modern and update it but still offer a lot of the tradition that the market has been able to do, that would be a really cool thing to do."
The history of Jim's Farmers Market
There is no "Jim" behind Jim's Farmers Market, but there is a J.I.M. The name is an acronym for Jake Floud, Ike Esh and Marty Reese.
Esh first operated a farmers market at the Old Jail on West King Street for two years before taking on Floud and Reese and moving to a building at 251 Grant Street, which is now home to event venue Remedy Park (and formerly Jan Zell Wines).
But a fire broke out the morning of June 13, 1983. Jim's Farmers Market had a new home and was back in business four days later. Zoeller described in a news release how it happened:
"In a remarkable feat, the owners, vendors and volunteers from the community rallied together, made a plan to move across the lawn into the vacant roundhouse building at 255 Grant Street and were open for business that same week on Friday, June 17, 1983."
"It's a pretty remarkable thing," he said later in an interview. "I just think in my mind, right now, if a fire broke out at a building, a pretty big local market, could you get up and running in a week's time? Probably not. It was about the community coming together."
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Evolving for the future
Zoeller's goal is to keep that community aspect thriving, with people who have loved Jim's and its vendors for years and with newcomers who might not know it is even there.
At Jim's, shoppers can buy deli meat from M&M Meats or Esh's Meat and Cheeses, fresh baked pies and bread from Ada's Bakery or Naomi's Bakery, a meal for lunch at Farmboy Hoagies, fruits and veggies from Harvest Hill Produce, and candy from Chocolate Street, which is the newest vendor at Jim's. Some other vendors are The Donut Shoppe, The Ham Shoppe, Mim's Donuts, Country Heritage, Healthy Living Center, Wildtree Organic, Lenny's Antiques and Collectibles, and Peruvian Boutique, according to the market's website.
Zoeller said Mama's Soft Pretzels is probably the most popular vendor. During a Friday and Saturday earlier this year, it served a record 1,000 customers.
As the newest vendor, Chocolate Street has the aesthetic that Zoeller wants to replicate across the market. It features white shiplap above the service area and black vertical siding below, with a wooden service counter.
Zoeller also plans to further develop the space, but it is too early to share details. Lucille Paylor of M&M Meats and Graciela Terrazas of Peruvian Boutique, both of whom have worked at Jim's for over two decades, said they are excited to see Zoeller's visions come to fruition.
“I’m just excited with what all he’s been doing to improve the market,” said Paylor, who began working at Jim’s when she was 14. Back then Esh was the owner, and she worked for his wife, Nancy, at The Ham Shoppe. Things have come full circle, as Paylor and her husband recently took over The Ham Shoppe and are running it alongside M&M Meats. Their businesses are neighbors near the market's east entrance.
“We have more customers than we used to,” she added. I think all in all business has been a lot better.”
Born in Peru, Terrazas has been selling various household wares from her home country at Jim’s for about 25 years.
“It’s my hobby. I like this place,” she said, her accent thick. “I like it better now than before.”
But no matter how the market may physically change, Zoeller said its success will be tied to the friendly atmosphere and the good customer service.
"Whether its Gen Z or the Greatest Generation, I think all generations appreciate good service and good products at a good price."
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Jim's will celebrate 40 years on June 16
The Grant Street Food Fest will bring food trucks, vendors, entertainment and more to Grant Street for "40 Years at the Roadhouse: A Birthday Celebration." The food fest will take place 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 16.
Remedy Park and Gearhouse Brewing Co. will also take part in the event.
"We will have cake, sweet treats, giveaways, balloons, and more inside themarket, and then the main celebration will be the Grant Street Food Fest throughout Grant Street from 3 to 8 p.m.Mark your calendars and plan to join us, along with our wonderful neighboring businesses, to celebrate our rich history as we look forward to an even brighter future on the Grant Street Corridor," Zoeller said in a news release.
Learn more about Jim's Farmers Market and the anniversary celebration at jimsfarmersmarket.com and the market's Facebook page.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
