A new food option has come to Wappingers Falls, the 25,000-square-foot Andy”™s Wellness Market that boasts an array of natural and organic products and produce “at really unbeatable prices,” said Steven Peter, the store owner.
The store features fresh fish and natural meats, gluten-free items, locally grown and produced foods and gourmet attractions. “And we have a salad and juice bar that is the best in Dutchess County,” Peter boasted.
Located in the Home Depot plaza on Route 9, Andy”™s Wellness Market opened Oct. 28 and had its grand opening celebration Nov. 13. It is the brainchild of Ender “Andy” Osgur, who wants to take the whole food and healthy food movement into the kitchens of ordinary citizens who are not able to afford to shop for organic foods or see the benefits of healthy eating.
“What we have is not only a supermarket with great pricing but the intention of educating people,” Peter said. “We want people to know about better choices they can be making in healthful eating, and try providing them with options at reasonable prices, unlike our competitors. These are hard times and in these hard times, people deserve to have the best high quality produce and best high quality meat at the best prices and we”™ve got them.”
He said Joe Baldwin, a local health food expert will frequently have a table at the store, and be providing samples and health tips, and that other nutritionists and lecturers will be brought in on a regular basis.
The route to opening the store is a tale of entrepreneurial savvy and willingness to risk some investment capital in a good idea, Peter said. He said he knew Osgur from a business in Rye, and was going to inject some capital for an expansion there when instead, he learned of the opportunity for a supermarket in Wappingers Falls. The landlord had invested about a million dollars in renovating the building and its interior space.
“The building was available and the landlord approached Andy to open a market,” Peter said. “The way it came together, Andy built this market and needed a partner to open up. That”™s where I came in. He has a juice bar down in Rye that I like and I thought we could do something together that was valuable and profitable.”
“Health food is really the way to go,” Peter said. “The whole point is that America is waking up to its needs of wellness through food. And I want to be in a business making a contribution to making people healthier. I think the best way to do that is through eating.”
He said his business sense is also piqued by the location in Wappingers Falls, part of an area in southern Dutchess County that is seeing growth. He noted that Adams Fairacre Farms is constructing another in their chain of supermarkets down the road in the town of Wappinger.
“They do great business and they clearly believe this area will support more supermarkets,” Peter said.
“It seems like there is a lot happening here,” he said. “Southern Dutchess is where people are coming, people who are tired of the high pricing of Manhattan and can commute, are moving up here.”
And so far, he said, the store is off to a good start. “It”™s been very positive. People seem very happy.”
