Downtown Johnson City is getting a new one-stop shop that will offer locally produced foods, snacks and pastries, as well as other miscellaneous eatables. Piere’s Marketplace is set to open on Oct. 25 and hopes to be the community’s new hub for fresh, diverse and locally owned products.

Piere Herman, 34, comes from Arizona where he and his wife, Jules Herman, met. They then moved to Austin, Texas, where they lived for four years and found their passion for the state and sell of the organic goods market. After seeing a shift in their local grocery markets, they dedicated their lives to helping communities shop locally. Their love for small-city needs grew when the couple moved to Richmond, Virginia, where they were surrounded by locally grown products and were encouraged to support small businesses in town. Working for a grocery corporation, they were then relocated to Johnson City, Tennessee.

Photo of the future location of Piere’s Marketplace. (Contributed/Piere’s Marketplace Facebook)

“They would have the private label brands that you wouldn’t see at the big box grocery store like a Walmart, Kroger or a Target,” Herman said on a phone call about his time in Virginia.

Having been in the grocery business for around 20 years, Herman has experience in many diverse roles in the industry from bagging groceries to managing stores with up to 300 associates. Now, he is on his journey to open his own marketplace and make his mark while giving back to the community.

The marketplace’s concept has been in the making for the last two years including design, ideology, stock, collaborations and other aspects. The store’s design, Herman mentioned, is inspired by a European, minimalistic, farmers market look. Only having as few as 1 to 3 employees at a time working in the store, the main aspect will be highlighting farmers and vendors to inform customers where their products come from.

“Anytime you put a staple business downtown, it drives more business downtown,” Herman said. “Especially for the locals that don’t have a place to get a gallon or half-gallon of milk.”

Piere’s Marketplace is a shop convenient for all, offering privately labeled items and grab-and-go items such as sandwiches and wraps. Other foods include cake slices, single-served beverages, local meats and in the future, Herman mentioned, they also plan to sell wines and beers as well as seasonally changing items. Looking ahead, the shop will look into online ordering and delivery services as a crucial part of their business.

“We’re super excited to give the community a fresh idea with combining the bigger chain grocery markets with smaller chain grocery markets, and curating orders for customers as far as hand-picking these items,” Herman said.

Ambitious in their work, the couple also hopes to get involved in hiring and internship opportunities as they grow their team for students interested in business as their five-year goal. Having a suggestion drop box online as well as one on its location, the marketplace is always communicating with the public to improve their experience. Visit https://www.pieresmarketplace.com/ to learn more.