Tahoe Central Market opened its doors on Christmas Eve of last year, and business has hardly slowed down since. Located on North Lake Boulevard in Kings Beach, the market offers a wide range of fresh produce — much of which is sourced from farms within 200 miles of Tahoe and with a weekly CSA, or community supported agriculture, box available — in addition to specialty grocery items like gluten-free baking mixes, local meats and cheeses, wine and beer, à la carte bites, and a full sandwich and juice/smoothie bar. The market also hosts frequent community events featuring its vendors and samples from local farmers, wine distributors, and more, turning the shop into equal parts food store and local hangout.
The market is owned and operated by the Habeger family, perfectly complementing the family’s 22-year-old business, Produce Plus, which is run by Bob Habeger. You may have seen Produce Plus trucks around Tahoe supplying over 1,000 local restaurants and businesses with fresh produce sourced four times a week from farms in the foothills and North Sacramento. As the demand for its produce kept increasing, and more individuals were requesting Produce Plus services, the Habegers saw the solution.
“We always wanted to make a produce market, and once this building came up for rent last February [2013] we knew we had to jump on it … it was almost meant to be; we love this location,” said Bobby Habeger, Bob’s son and manager of the market. “Even chefs that were only able to get our produce four times a week, now they can get it every day, which we’ve seen a lot, whether they’re filling orders, buying specialty items, or buying ingredients to cook at home.”
After working tirelessly to prepare the space for opening, the team’s hard work is paying off, and they’ve enjoyed a steady stream of business even in slower months thanks to locals. “We’re getting a ton of positive feedback, and we’re still open to suggestions. We want this to be a local hub and a community marketplace,” Bobby said. “It has growth potential and it’ll be constantly evolving. It’s great to have the opportunity to create something new in Kings Beach and to have such a positive impact on such a great community.”
The market’s deli and smoothie/juice bar allows customers to shop for their fresh fruits and veggies — including specialty items like the unique Asian fruit, rambutan — and then order some eats to enjoy right in the market. The deli is run by Ben Kenny, former dinner chef for Wolfdale’s, and he has been developing some delicious-sounding specialty sandwiches like the Controlled Burn — smoked turkey, jalapeño jack cheese, and chipotle mayo toasted on jalapeño cheddar bread with spicy slaw; add Sriracha hot sauce to make it a Wild Fire. The market also has a steadily increasing grab-and-go section, including food from Tahoe City’s Uncommon Kitchen and premade sandwiches for summer.
“This is something the area needed and is graciously accepting. A lot of out-of-towners really like it, too. The prices seem to be super fair,” Kenny said. “By summer our kitchen will be super expanded. And I’m really excited for our local growing season so we can carry even more local produce.”
Tahoe Central Market’s Facebook page is bursting with updates, daily specials, and details on upcoming events. The next big one is the grand opening party on June 7. Kicking off around noon in the lot behind the market, the party will include food and drink vendors with samples and goods for sale, a barbecue, live music from the local rock tribute band Metal Echo, and an aerials demonstration from Tahoe Flow Arts Studio.
“We always wanted to have a grand opening party, but we opened so fast it never happened,” Bobby said. “We’re going to kick off the summer and get the whole community together. We’re all looking forward to it.”
To learn more about the grand opening party or about the market, visit tahoecentralmarket.com.
~ Have you been to the Tahoe Central Market? Let us know below.
