Food Matters Markets
Food Matters Market is an independently owned, two-store natural and organic grocery retailer in Brevard and Morganton, North Carolina, serving health-conscious local consumers with locally sourced groceries plus on-site cafe/deli prepared foods and a Carrot Club loyalty program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBrevard, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Food Matters Markets does
Food Matters Market, Inc. is an independent, locally owned grocery retailer headquartered in Brevard, North Carolina, operating two physical storefronts — one at 1 Market St in Brevard (Transylvania County) and a second at 210 Avery Ave in Morganton (Burke County). Founded in 2012, the company positions itself as a community-oriented market selling local, organic, healthy foods free of pesticides and GMOs, alongside fresh produce, packaged grocery, health and beauty items, and beer. The core assortment is differentiated by direct sourcing relationships with regional farms and producers, and the company explicitly markets its role in supporting the local economy and sustainable food systems.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer, brick-and-mortar retail model with no e-commerce or delivery channel disclosed. Both locations include an on-site cafe/deli offering prepared foods and sandwiches with separate menus per store, providing a secondary revenue stream that lifts average ticket size and visit frequency. Marketing is conducted through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), an email-based loyalty program called Carrot Club (powered by Constant Contact), structured weekly Deal Days (military/veteran, senior, beer, and monthly health & beauty promotions), and monthly Fresh Savings digital circulars. Pricing is standard unit-based retail with targeted discount programs rather than tiered subscription contracts; the customer base is fragmented individual consumer foot traffic, with no enterprise or B2B accounts identified.
Operationally, the company is small (1–10 employees) and bootstrapped — only $25,000 of disclosed funding in 2014 and no institutional capital — and is led by CEO Lindy Bannister alongside co-founders/co-owners Michael Cianciarulo and Alan Kirchner, with Jeffery Bannister as COO. The technology stack is conventional SaaS (Wix website, Constant Contact email, Paylocity HR, ideal.sale digital flyers), with no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no e-commerce infrastructure. Ownership remains private with no parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or public-market indicators disclosed.
Food Matters Markets firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food Matters Markets
- Legal name
- Food Matters Market, Inc.
- Website
- https://foodmattersmarket.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Food Matters Market is an independently owned, two-store natural and organic grocery retailer in Brevard and Morganton, North Carolina, serving health-conscious local consumers with locally sourced groceries plus on-site cafe/deli prepared foods and a Carrot Club loyalty program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food Matters Markets industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Special Food Services (7223)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads) (CRAHAKAA), Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)
Keywords
Where Food Matters Markets is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brevard
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Food Matters Markets business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Sales: Revenue from selling local, organic, and healthy food products to consumers through two physical retail locations. Products include fresh produce, packaged goods, health and beauty items, and beer.
- Cafe/Deli Sales: On-site cafe and deli operations at both locations offering prepared foods and sandwiches. Deli hours are Monday-Saturday 8am-4pm and Sunday 10am-3pm.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | No formal tiered pricing structure disclosed |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Food Matters Markets product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food Matters Market is a community-oriented grocery retailer operating two physical storefronts in Brevard and Morganton, NC, selling local, organic, and healthy foods including fresh produce, packaged goods, health & beauty items, and beer. Each store includes an on-site cafe/deli offering prepared foods and sandwiches during daytime hours. The company supports regional farmers and producers through direct sourcing relationships and operates a Carrot Club email loyalty program with weekly Deal Days promotions for military, seniors, and category-specific discounts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Food Matters Market & Cafe: In-store cafe offering deli menu items at the Brevard and Morganton locations.
Products and services
- Food Matters Market Grocery Retail Community-oriented grocery market offering local, healthy, and organic foods including fresh produce, packaged goods, beer, and health & beauty items, sold to individual shoppers through two physical storefronts in Brevard and Morganton, NC.
- Cafe/Deli Service In-store cafe and deli service at both Brevard and Morganton locations offering prepared foods, sandwiches, and beverages to walk-in customers during daytime hours; available with separate menu options per store.
Companies that use Food Matters Markets
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Food Matters Markets technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Food Matters Markets partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Food Matters Markets competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Natural Grocers: Community-focused natural and organic grocery chain operating small-format stores with strong emphasis on local sourcing and clean-label products, directly mirroring Food Matters Market's positioning.
- Earth Fare: Was historically headquartered in Asheville, NC and operated a very similar model of natural/organic grocery stores with in-store prepared foods across the Southeast; a direct precedent for Food Matters Market's regional positioning.
- MOM's Organic Market: Independently operated natural and organic grocery retailer with a strong community/local-sourcing ethos and prepared food offerings; closely comparable in mission and format to Food Matters Market.
- New Seasons Market: Community-oriented neighborhood natural foods grocery chain with cafe/prepared food programs; very similar small-format, locally focused operating model.
Broad incumbents
- Whole Foods Market: National broad-line natural and organic grocer with substantially overlapping product mix (produce, packaged organics, prepared foods, HBA) but far greater scale and supply-chain leverage.
- Sprouts Farmers Market: Specialty natural foods grocer competing in the same organic/produce/local-sourced category with a small-box format comparable in spirit to Food Matters Market but at vastly larger scale.
- Trader Joe's: Specialty grocery retailer with strong organic/natural assortment and curated private-label selection that competes for the same health-conscious consumer in overlapping markets.
Regional players
- Ingles Markets: North Carolina-headquartered regional supermarket chain with strong Western NC presence, selling groceries, produce, meat, and prepared foods; competes with Food Matters Market for the same local shoppers.
- Lowes Foods: North Carolina-based regional grocery chain emphasizing fresh, local, and in-store prepared foods (including its popular 'Pick & Prep' program); a direct regional competitor in the same geography.
- French Broad Food Co-op: Asheville, NC-based community food co-op selling local, organic, and natural foods with deli/prepared foods; directly comparable community grocery model operating in the same Western NC region.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Food Matters Markets social profiles
Digital presenceFood Matters Markets financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food Matters Markets leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Food Matters Markets funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food Matters Markets M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food Matters Markets
What does Food Matters Markets do?
Food Matters Market is a community-oriented grocery retailer operating two physical storefronts in Brevard and Morganton, NC, selling local, organic, and healthy foods including fresh produce, packaged goods, health & beauty items, and beer. Each store includes an on-site cafe/deli offering prepared foods and sandwiches during daytime hours. The company supports regional farmers and producers through direct sourcing relationships and operates a Carrot Club email loyalty program with weekly Deal Days promotions for military, seniors, and category-specific discounts.
Is Food Matters Markets a public or private company?
Food Matters Markets is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Food Matters Markets founded?
Food Matters Markets was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Food Matters Markets based?
Food Matters Markets is headquartered in Brevard, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food Matters Markets make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Sales are the primary driver. The others are cafe/Deli Sales.
Who are Food Matters Markets's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Natural Grocers, Earth Fare, MOM's Organic Market and New Seasons Market. Broad incumbents are Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market and Trader Joe's. Regional players are Ingles Markets, Lowes Foods and French Broad Food Co-op.
Does Food Matters Markets have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food Matters Markets.
What industry is Food Matters Markets in?
Food Matters Markets's product category is Specialty Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAF, Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli, with a secondary code of CRAHAKAA, Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads). Its NAICS code is 4452 and its SIC code is 5411.