Downtown Fort Wayne residents have begged for a full-service grocery store for more than a decade. On Wednesday, Mayor Sharon Tucker delivered the news they waited years to hear: it’s actually happening.
Developer and Sweetwater founder Chuck Surack confirmed his company will turn the old Perfection Bakery building on Pearl Street into a 30,000-to-40,000-square-foot grocery store complete with fresh meat market, deli, bakery, and everything else people need for weekly shopping.
This is the biggest quality-of-life win downtown has seen in years.
Chuck Surack Explains Why Now Is the Right Time
Surack told 21Alive after the State of the City address that the numbers finally work.
“We needed enough people living downtown before a grocery store could survive,” he said. “Now we have over 3,000 new residential units either built or under construction since 2019. The population is here.”
He compared the coming store to Fresh Thyme or the higher-end Fresh Market rather than a discount chain.
“It will be a full-fledged grocery store with great prepared foods, a strong deli, fresh bakery, and a real butcher counter,” Surack said. “People will be able to walk in after work and pick up dinner or do their full weekly shopping.”
Demolition inside the historic Perfection Bakery building started weeks ago. Construction begins officially in March, with doors opening spring 2027.
Residents and Workers React With Pure Joy
Carly Buchanan works downtown and has two young kids. She lit up when she heard the news.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished for this,” she said while grabbing coffee Thursday morning. “Running to the east side or southwest Fort Wayne after work eats up the whole evening. Having a real grocery store I can walk to will change everything for families.”
Paul Marinko owns Kilwins Chocolates & Ice Cream on Calhoun Street. He says customers have asked him about a downtown grocery store for years.
“They’ll buy a scoop of ice cream and say ‘this place is perfect, if only we had a grocery store,'” Marinko laughed. “Now I get to tell them it’s actually coming. This completes the neighborhood.”
How the Project Fits Into Downtown’s Bigger Comeback
Fort Wayne’s downtown has added more than 1,200 new apartments and condos in the last five years. The Pearl, The Lofts at Headwaters Park, the new parking garage with retail, Riverfront Phase 2, and The Bradley hotel have all opened or broken ground.
Yet until now, the one missing piece was groceries.
Mayor Tucker called it the number one request she hears from residents who moved downtown.
A 2024 study by Greater Fort Wayne Inc. showed downtown workers and residents spend over $40 million annually on groceries, almost all of it outside the downtown area. The new store will capture much of that spending and keep more money local.
What We Know About the Store So Far
Surack shared these specific details:
- 30,000 to 40,000 square feet (larger than most urban groceries)
- Fresh meat market with on-site butchers
- Full-service deli with prepared foods
- In-house bakery
- Wide selection of produce, dairy, and pantry items
- Focus on walkability and grab-and-go options for workers
- Parking available plus easy access for pedestrians
The building will keep some historic elements of the old Perfection Bakery facade while getting a complete modern interior.
This isn’t Surack’s first big swing for downtown. His company already developed The Bradley hotel, the Clyde Theatre, and multiple residential projects. He clearly believes in Fort Wayne’s urban core.
For years people said downtown Fort Wayne could never support a real grocery store. They were wrong. In spring 2027, families will push carts down Pearl Street, workers will grab dinner ingredients on their walk home, and one of the last big holes in downtown living finally gets filled.
This is what progress feels like.
What do you think about finally getting a downtown grocery store? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and tag your friends who have been waiting for this day.
