DOWAGIAC — Loyal customers of Wright Farms Market will have a hard time missing the store’s new location after its move from downtown Dowagiac to a space right on M-51.

The move, which has been a year and a half process, said the owner, Steve Wright, started during the middle of the market’s lease at their last location in Manor Plaza, 11 W. Railroad St., Dowagiac.

Wright had his eye on the new location for a while and was planning to purchase it when it went up for sale. He expected this to happen down the road in two to three years, but that was not the case.

“The sale happened a lot sooner than I thought,” Wright said.

Since the new space was bought at 57470 M-51 S., Dowagiac, Wright has been focused on getting products on the shelves and getting the word out about the new location. Wright closed the old location on July 17 and transitioned to the new location, which opened on July 25.

A huge decision in making the move for Wright was the availability of more space at their new location, Wright said.

He said the store’s main goal is to get a kitchen open, which has already been certified by the state of Michigan. With kitchen access, Wright hopes to also offer prepared meals for people to take home. Wright would also like to do more barbecuing, which he tried last summer, but he did not have enough room available for in his previous location. 

“People could take home prepared frozen meals that they can warm in the oven or microwave,” Wright said. “They are better for you than the stuff you get at the fast food places.”

Wright’s original dream was to own his own location, and with his new space, he can do just that.

In the fall, Wright hopes to sell pumpkins to the community. During Christmas time, Wright has plans to sell Christmas trees to the community.

“There’s nowhere in this area for people to buy a Christmas tree,” Wright said. “You either have to go to Niles or the east side of Cass or northeast of Dowagiac quite a way.”

Wright said the new location, which has only been open for two weeks, has already attracted more business as there is more traffic in the area.

“[We are] next to Imperial Furniture and the Chevy Dealership,” Wright said. “It’s definitely a lot busier of an area for sure.”

Wright said his market has quite a following from the Chicago area and people from Illinois. He also sees some customers travel in from northern Indiana. Wright is looking forward to continuing to serve the local community of Dowagiac, he said.

“This gives us a lot more room, and we are going to be able to do a lot more things,” Wright said.