Well before sunrise Friday morning, a line had already formed outside the brand-new Sprouts Farmers Market on U.S. Highway 27 in Clermont. By the time the ribbon was ready to be cut at 6:45am, hundreds of people hoping to be among the first through the doors had gathered.

The first 200 shoppers received reusable shopping totes filled with treats and samples and the first 400 guests were handed fresh long-stem roses courtesy of Falcon Farms Floral. Outside the East Ridge High School marching band and cheerleaders entertained the crowd as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Clermont Mayor Tim Murry was scheduled to speak but had lost his voice, so his wife Kassi Murry stepped forward to read his remarks.

“On behalf of the city staff, city council and residents of Clermont, we welcome Sprout Farmers, Market to Clermont,” she says. “Just looking at the crowd gathered here together at this early morning hour tells me that the residents of Clermont appreciate your arrival.” 

We are thrilled and look forward to the fresh opportunities Sprouts Farmers Famous Market  will bring to our community. It is a blessing to have sprouts invest in Clermont. Sprouts is more than a new store in Clermont. It is a commitment to jobs, health and quality of life for the residents.”

Next to speak was Store Manager Josh Smerda.

“Good morning, everyone; welcome,” Josh says. “We’re so happy you could come out and celebrate with us.”

As he continued however, he struggled to get through his remarks as the moment clearly hit him.

“We have one simple philosophy here. We want to… sorry. Sorry. A lot of work went into this. We’re so excited to be here and I got choked up, so I apologize,” Josh says. “We want to help people live and eat better. Very simple. So, we’re here to bring wonderful offerings and customer service you won’t find anywhere else. We’re so happy to be a part of an already amazing community. So, thank you, everyone. We’re excited to be here. Let’s have a good day.”

After a quick “Three, two, one” countdown, the ribbon was cut and about 10 minutes later the doors officially opened at 7am.

As shoppers walked inside, Sprouts employees lined the entrance applauding and welcoming them and the store looked polished and ready, with colorful produce displays and aisles stocked with organic and specialty foods that Sprouts is known for nationwide.

Among those waiting outside was a very eager Natalie Alves.

“So excited,” she said. “We used to live in Arizona and we had one, like, right across the street and I shopped there exclusively,” Natalie says. “Their products were amazing. Their meats were fresh. We live right around the corner, so we’ll come here all the time.”

Alves said her family already has a mental shopping list.

“We love the produce, so we’ll get fruit,” she says. “And the boys love the treats. They’re organic, with no food colors in them and they’re natural flavors. I’ve been waiting for a place like this here for a long time.”

For others, it was their first time experiencing the popular grocery chain.

“I’ve never been in a Sprouts before but I’ve always heard good things about it, so this is exciting,” says Mikki Miller.

Her friend and shopping companion Joyce Ogden, who has shopped at Sprouts in San Antonio said she is thrilled to see one finally open in Clermont.

“I just love sprouts and this is really a nice one,” Joyce says. “I like the produce, I like the bakery, I like how everything’s organic and their pharmaceutical products are wonderful.”

The only thing the friends didn’t expect was the huge crowd or they would have arrived a little earlier.  

“We live across the street in King’s Ridge and we never thought it would be this crowded and that it would be so hard to find a place to park,” Mikki says. “We waited in line for a little while, but you know, here it is not even 7:30, we’re in and we got our bag.”

The new store, located at 3420 S. U.S. Highway 27, is open daily from 7am to 10pm and offers a wide selection of fresh produce, natural and organic groceries, bulk foods, wellness products and ready-to-eat meals.

If Friday morning’s crowd was any indication, Clermont shoppers are more than ready to fill their carts. The first 200 people in the store tomorrow will also be treated to a free reusable shopping tote and special discounts.

Photos by Roxanne Brown