Fresh Market leases four Houston-area locations

Greensboro, N.C. - The Fresh Market said Wednesday it has entered into agreements to lease four new store locations that are currently operated as Rice Epicurean Markets, a family-owned specialty food retailer based in Houston.



Rice Epicurean Markets will continue to operate the stores through the end of the year, and will close these four stores during the first quarter of 2013.



The Fresh Market's four new locations will be in the Uptown/Tanglewood, Memorial, River Oaks and West University areas of Houston. Rice Epicurean will be the landlord at three of The Fresh Market's new locations. In addition, there will be incremental space at the Rice Epicurean Markets locations for complementary tenants. The Fresh Market said it intends to remodel each location and currently expects to open its four new stores in the latter half of fiscal 2013.



The terms of the agreements are not being disclosed.