Micro-Grocery Opens on Bronson Methodist Hospital South Campus

On January 7, 2019, Bronson Market opened on the south campus of Bronson Methodist Hospital, located at 601 John Street in downtown Kalamazoo. The micro-grocery store offers shoppers a variety of fresh, locally-grown and produced foods like meat, cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables. Bronson employees, as well as patients and visitors, are invited to stop in and purchase items normally found at the local farmers market.

As the area’s largest employer and most preferred healthcare system, Bronson is committed to advancing the health of the patients it serves as well as the health of its 9,000+ employees. 

“Promoting a healthy workplace is something we prioritize here at Bronson,” explains Grant Fletcher, Bronson’s director of healthy living and sustainability. “Bronson Market is designed to make it easier and more convenient to buy fresh, healthy food to eat now or take home and prepare. It’s just one way we’re working to improve work-life balance, offer healthy food options, and support local businesses.”

Having access to and eating healthy food is a key contributor to overall health. For years, Bronson Methodist Hospital has sourced foods served in its cafeterias and to hospitalized patients from local and regional producers. In fact, 45% of the food it prepares is locally sourced with most of the produce coming from Bronson’s partnership with the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Food Innovation Center.

A 2016 study from the American Nursing Association reported that only 56 percent of nurses across the country have access to healthy food at work. And, a recent research study published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research called downtown Kalamazoo a “food desert” due to lack of a full-service grocery store in the downtown area near Bronson Methodist Hospital.

Bronson Market will help close that gap for those seeking fresh, local food. It is located on the first floor of the Medical Office Pavilion and shares space with Bronson’s Outpatient Pharmacy. In addition to healthy food items from local vendors, Bronson Market sells gift shop favorites, like cards, small gifts and snacks. Hours are: Mondays-Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Free parking is available in the adjacent Vine Street parking ramp.

Bronson Market is SNAP approved. All fresh, local food, including meat, produce, cheese, pasta, etc. are able to be purchased using SNAP dollars.