Busch’s Fresh Food Market is a well-established, local market in Canton, Michigan. Since each Busch’s location has their own distinct design, we were excited to take this market through a complete refresh and rethinking of their offering for the first time in this location.

We love working with clients like Busch’s since they understood the value of good design and an enhanced customer experience from the get-go. We were inspired by the eclectic mix of vendors often seen at a farmer’s market, each having their own unique look- and-feel and knew from the start this is something we wanted to translate into this space. We also had the pleasure of adding a full-service restaurant and bar, JB Smokehouse, into the interior of the space which really diversified the offering for their loyal and passionate customer base.

The store unveils itself to the customer from the parking lot. A new porch was added to the former storefront to allow for outdoor market displays which continue on the Inside to a strategically located transparent floral cooler which welcomes the customer with freshness and bright colors while simultaneously hiding the checkouts from view. Then, as the customer walks through the Busch’s Canton location, we wanted to evoke a sense of wandering and discovery and move away from the cold, sterile transactional feel of a lot of grocery experiences. We wanted to shopper to feel like they are in a outdoor farmer’s market, with each vendor taking on it’s own unique, shop-like design.

We used a lot of raw materials for the market in order to give the space a warm, rustic, and nostalgic feel in order to offset the more practical elements of the grocery space – such as things like coolers and other technical equipment. Things like charred wood, metals, and raw palettes made the environment warm and friendly. Kitchens and prep areas are exposed to customer view to enhance transparency and freshness. Anchoring the produce market, is a European style cafe’ offering fresh juices, gelato, and Starbucks coffee. A glass walk in beer keg cooler separates and connects the store to the JB Smokehouse restaurant.

Serving daily smoked meats, craft beers and a full hipster bar connected to an outdoor patio which is home to a portable smoker for catering events, J.B.’s Smokehouse’s design was inspired by a more sophisticated feel. Using a darker, moodier color palette of charcoal grays, we intended to create a true dining experience inside of a neighborhood grocery store.

Designed by Studio|H2G
Photography by Don Kurek