Approved by the City of Grosse Pointe’s planning commission, the 20,000 square-foot expansion of Farms Market to the corner of Fisher and Maumee was announced to the public on May 5, 2026.
Steve and Larry Najjar, owners of Fresh Farms Market for over 29 years, have overseen the renovation of Fresh Farms once before in 2006. Larry Najjar says this renovation is overdue.
“It feels about time to do it. It actually feels a little past time,” Najjar said. “I think it’ll allow us to give our customers more of what they want: more items, bigger variety, and we can service them better.”
The construction will begin sometime this summer, with the store being operational out of the same building; it’s estimated to take about a year and a half. Najjar says he and his brother have planned to expand Farms since buying the property.
“No one in Grosse Pointe ever gets the opportunity to build something new; we can build a new Farms market, and it’ll be new, and it’ll feel different and set the tone for the next 100 years,” Najjar said. “We’ll lose some parking [during construction]… it’ll probably be messy and exciting at the same time.”
Stephen Warnick ’29 believes that the flow of business will remain the same due to the grocery store’s appeal.
“I like it. There’ll be more space, but I think it’ll [business during lunches] probably stay the same,” Warnick said. “They’ll leave more space, but there will also be more people, so I think it’ll even out.”
Warnick has a positive outlook on the expansion, but hopes construction won’t affect
school and residential travel.
“I hope it doesn’t take up the street [construction]. My mom sometimes parks over there,” Warnick said. “I think it will though unless they’re just doing the interior.”
Although excited, Simone Dennis ’28 hopes prices don’t rise due to increased shopping and the larger space.
“I hope it won’t be more expensive because the place is bigger and people are coming in,” Dennis said. “I’m hoping it’ll help because there’s usually a line outside. I hope it’ll be easier to navigate in and out.”
Dennis believes the renovation is coming in at a bit of a weird time, but overall thinks it’ll be a successful and positive incorporation.
“I think it’s iffy because of its timing,” Dennis said. “But it’ll attract a lot of people to be grocery shopping there, so it’ll be busier. ”
Najjar believes what truly makes Farms Market special is that it’s for the community; the goal is to have this renovation be adjustable and feel like Farms Market.
“It’s a hub for the community, and that’s our intent for the next stores as well, so we’re not going to lose sight of what really makes Farms Market Farms Market,” Najjar said. “Part of it is the students, part of it is the customers that come into the daytime that are elderly, the people coming by riding bikes on the weekends, all of that is what makes Farms Market special.”
