Fresh Thyme Farmers Market was founded in 2012 by current CEO Chris Sherrell. Sherrell had more than 30 years in the grocery business when he saw an opportunity to put a more natural foods type of market in the mid-West, he went for it.
The company is a combination of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The focus is on natural health foods in bulk quantities, eliminating most packaging and pre-packaged foods.
Since the first opening of their store in Illinois in 2014, the company has had an eye on expansion. Currently, there are 66 locations in 10 states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. At this rate of growth, the company is scheduled to have 150 locations by 2020. There are currently plans to open 10 more locations in 2018; this after opening 20 locations in 2017.
Fresh Thyme features smaller stores which focus on produce, fresh meat, and dairy and for the most part, reject the traditionally packaged foods. In fact, fresh produce accounts for as much as 25 to 30 percent of sales at the company, compared to 12 to 15 percent for larger grocery stores.
In early 2017, the company introduced their own label of packaged foods, stressing the organic label and quality. The company currently has more than 800 products that carry their name, while hoping to increase that number to 2.000 by the end of 2018. In November of the same year, the company launched their own mobile app named MyThyme, designed to offer rewards, coupons, online receipts, and personalized shopping lists for both Android and Apple phones. 
Company headquarters are located in Downers Grove, Illinois.
