Pete's Fresh Market Still Coming, Construction To Begin By Late-Fall

NEW LENOX, IL — Construction on a long-awaited addition to New Lenox now has a start-date, Mayor Tim Baldermann said Wednesday.

Pete's Fresh Market will begin work on its 60,000-square-foot store by Oct. 31, with tentative opening projected for spring 2025, the company's owner said in a letter to Mayor Tim Baldermann dated June 27. The store will be located at 2307 E. Lincoln Highway.

Baldermann shared the letter on social media Wednesday.

"After delays from COVID-19, and supply chain issues, we are pleased to announce Pete’s Fresh Market is submitting their plans and will begin construction in October," Baldermann wrote. "Not only does it take time to build the 60,000-square-foot building, but equipment orders are still slower than normal. They will also need to hire and train their staff. We look forward to their opening in 22 months."

Pete's Fresh Market first announced its intention to open in New Lenox in 2017, Baldermann said. Started in the early 1970s as "a small, full-service produce stand on the south side of Chicago," the grocer chain remains a family-owned business with stores featuring fresh produce, full-service kitchens, bakery, deli, and in-house butchers. Pete's currently has 17 stores in the Chicagoland area with six coming soon, the New Lenox location among them.

"We’re excited to see this much-anticipated store opening," Baldermann said. "We are happy to offer a different variety of grocery options for the area."