Nothing has happened with the Bluffton Fresh Market in months — this could be why

It looks like the Bluffton Fresh Market won’t be opening any time soon, according to The Charlotte Observer newspaper.

A senior vice president at the upscale grocery store chain told the paper in an email Thursday that Fresh Market does not plan to open any new stores this year.

This includes previously announced stores.

The Bluffton Fresh Market was announced in 2016 as one of the stores that would go into the new shopping center at U.S. 278 and Burnt Church Road, where Hobby Lobby and First Watch have already opened.

Fresh Market never confirmed that announcement, citing corporate policy against discussing new properties. However, awnings of the same color and design used at other Fresh Market locations went on the building in August and building permits taped to the outside list Fresh Market as the tenant.

Representatives with Jaz Management LLC, which developed the shopping center, did not return a phone call inquiring about the store.

According to The Observer article, Scott Duggan, a Fresh Market senior vice president, refused to comment on individual Fresh Market sites in the email.

“At present, the company believes the most efficient growth vehicle is to focus on improving core operations within its existing footprint, so it has decided not to open any previously announced new stores for 2018,” Duggan said in the email.

This story was originally published February 9, 2018 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Nothing has happened with the Bluffton Fresh Market in months — this could be why."