Supermarket voted best grocery store in America as customers praise meal kits, variety of offerings

The Fresh Market, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, recently took home a coveted award in the supermarket space — and its CEO revealed to Fox News Digital exactly why he feels the company won.

The store grabbed the No. 1 spot in the Best Grocery Store category of the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The store also took home first-place trophies in the Best Produce, Best Deli, Best Prepared Foods and Best Bakery sub-categories.

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Brian Johnson, president and CEO of The Fresh Market, shared his enthusiasm about the award but also said it's not based on one factor, but many. 

"I really fell in love with the brand [from] day one," he said, "and it makes it really easy to come to work every day. We have a great team here at the Fresh Market." 

He's been CEO for a little over six years. The supermarket chain has over 170 locations across 22 states.

Founded by Ray and Beverly Berry in 1982, The Fresh Market was inspired by European food markets and designed to provide a more "intimate and personalized shopping experience," the store’s website says. 

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Emphasis is placed on fresh, high-quality ingredients and prepared foods, plus a strong sense of hospitality, the organization said. 

"When you buy a fresh product from us, you can be assured that our team has curated only the best, the freshest produce, the freshest-cut meat. We cut meat fresh in our store every day," Johnson said.

"Every store has multiple butchers on staff, and so when you buy meat from one of our stores, you're getting the freshest available," he added.

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Johnson also touted the ready-to-eat meals available at The Fresh Market. "Our mission statement is to make the everyday eating extraordinary and also to make it easy."

A customer noted "the variety of veggies" available for sale "in your steam bags. Already prepared, so easy and wonderful variety. The produce area is always organized, neat, orderly and not a single spoiled thing in sight," according to the company's website. 

Another customer called out the Peppercorn Steak Market meal kit offered by the store. 

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Over the last year, five stores have been added to The Fresh Market fleet, with plans for more growth in the future, Johnson said.

Other grocery stores that earned spots in the USA Today 10Best rankings included Publix, Kroger and ALDI.

Customers said they appreciated ALDI’s affordability, while Publix was cited for its cleanliness and friendly staff.

Shoppers said they valued Kroger for its convenience and its wide selection of products.

Johnson thanked store guests who voted for The Fresh Market. 

"We really don't take that for granted, and we really appreciate that ... We feel very close to our guests," he said, "It's kinda like family."