There’s a new grocery store in Garden City, located at 25 N. Bear Lake Blvd, called the Bear Lake Market. It opened in May of 2018 and is connected to the Shell gas station on the corner of Highway 89 and Bear Lake Blvd.
Marty Phipps, the owner of the filling station and store, said he felt like there was room for another grocery store in the area.
“We try to keep our prices competitive with Logan prices,” Phipps said. “So far, customers that have found us tell us they are glad we are here.”
Phipps, who has owned the gas station for 15 years and is originally from Ogden, recently retired from Rio Tinto Group and plans to spend more time in the Bear Lake area.
The 6,000 square foot market is open 365 days a year from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is pretty tightly packed with groceries. The store is an independent member of Associated Foods.
“We do have fresh meat and vegetables available for shoppers,” he said.
This winter, when things are slow, he plans on moving some walls and increasing the retail space.
One of the problems in Garden City is a labor shortage. Garden City, Sweetwater and other small communities have about 1,000 residents year round. There could be as many as 50,000 during the summer months.