Grocery chain plans second Louisville store at this East End shopping hub

Another grocery store appears slated for far eastern Jefferson County.

A location of The Fresh Market grocery store is planned for the Paddock Shops, 4055 Summit Plaza Drive, off Brownsboro Road.

Paperwork filed with the city indicates the North Carolina-based grocer will take the spot formerly held by Barnes & Noble.

The shopping center’s owners are seeking to build a loading dock at the rear of the former Barnes & Noble at the center’s southwest corner, according to an application filed earlier this week with Louisville's Planning and Design Services office.

Patrice Molnar, spokeswoman for The Fresh Market, said she had no additional information to offer. Paddock Shops Property Manager Rita Erwin declined comment.

The new grocery store would have plenty of nearby competition, from Kroger directly across Brownsboro Road to the upcoming Publix about 1 mile away at the corner of Ballardsville and Brownsboro roads, not to mention a Rainbow Blossom, Meijer, Aldi, Walmart and another Kroger all within 2-3 miles.

The Fresh Market, founded and based in North Carolina, operates 160 stores across 22 states, including Kentucky.

A Paddock Shops location would be the second in Louisville for the company, which has operated at 1805 Rudy Lane since 2010.

The Fresh Market closed the first location it opened in the Louisville market, 10480 Shelbyville Road in Douglass Hills, in 2018 after 18 years in operation as part of a wave of closures, citing underperformance.

Over $15M in sales in 2022: Here's where to find Kentucky farmers markets

Barnes & Noble downsized earlier this year, moving from the 39,000-square-foot corner location to 4330 Summit Plaza Drive, formerly home to Pier 1 Imports.

In 2012, Earth Fare was the first grocer to open at the Paddock Shops. It closed in 2016.

The shopping center is home to about 60 tenants and boasts 353,000 square feet of retail space.

Growth & development reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at [email protected], 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The Fresh Market grocery store plans second location at Paddock Shops