Lucky's Market
Lucky's Market is a natural and organic grocery supermarket brand with separate Colorado and Ohio operating businesses.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Lucky's Market is a U.S. grocery brand associated with two independent and unrelated regional supermarket businesses: LM Acquisition Co. LLC, which operates the surviving Colorado business, and Lucky's Market Ohio, which operates stores in Ohio. The brand originated in Boulder, Colorado, in 2003, when Bo and Trish Sharon took over and renovated a grocery store formerly known as North Boulder Market. They developed the concept around primarily organic and natural foods, combining value-oriented pricing with a deliberately informal, playful shopping environment aimed at food-conscious customers. The original Colorado store operated for approximately a decade before the company began expanding. A second Colorado location opened in Longmont in August 2013, followed later that year by a store in Columbus, Ohio. During the middle of the 2010s, Lucky's expanded rapidly across the Midwest and Southeast. It entered Missouri, Montana, Kentucky, Michigan, Wyoming, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, and Florida, often locating stores in university towns or growing suburban markets. Its stores were known for natural and organic groceries, prepared foods, craft beer, food sampling, and an atmosphere that was less formal than conventional supermarkets. Some locations permitted customers to drink beer while shopping and incorporated cup holders into shopping carts, reinforcing the brand's distinctive positioning. The chain's expansion accelerated after The Kroger Co. made a substantial investment in April 2016. Kroger's backing supported a larger store-opening program, particularly in Florida, where Lucky's planned a substantial network and reached eight stores by late 2017. By 2019, Lucky's had reached a reported peak of 39 stores across ten states. It also began distributing Kroger's Simple Truth organic private-label products in August 2019. Bankruptcy-court materials later showed that Kroger had owned 55 percent of the business, while Kroger's public filings described a major impairment and loss associated with the investment. The expansion proved unsustainable. In December 2019, Kroger announced that it would divest its investment. In January 2020, Lucky's announced the closure of 20 of its 21 Florida stores and began liquidation sales. The company subsequently disclosed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on January 27, 2020. Bankruptcy materials described assets of between $100 million and $500 million, liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion, and a large creditor base. Store leases and locations were sold or assigned to other grocery operators, including Publix, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, Hitchcock's Markets, and Seabra Foods. Bo and Trish Sharon acquired the remaining stores during the bankruptcy process. The business then contracted sharply. The West Melbourne, Florida, store closed, and the remaining stores outside Colorado were sold during the first quarter of 2020. The Columbia, Missouri, store was sold to Schnucks, while the Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, stores were sold to Dave's Market. By April 2020, the Sharon-controlled operation had retained only two Colorado stores, in Boulder and Fort Collins. The Ohio stores subsequently became a separate business. The owners of Dave's Market acquired both Ohio locations and obtained exclusive rights to use the Lucky's Market name in Ohio. Lucky's Market Ohio opened a third store in Concord Township in September 2021 and later developed a second Columbus location, which opened in May 2024. As a result, the Lucky's Market name now represents a small, regionally divided grocery presence rather than the national expansion platform it briefly became during the Kroger-backed period.
History
Lucky's Market began in 2003 in Boulder, Colorado, when Bo and Trish Sharon took over a grocery store known as North Boulder Market and renovated it around an organic and natural-food concept. Rather than positioning the store as an exclusive specialty grocer, the founders emphasized accessible pricing and a lively customer experience. The store's identity included craft beer, informal sampling, prepared foods, and other elements intended to make grocery shopping more social and experiential. For roughly its first decade, the business remained centered in Colorado. The second store opened in Longmont in August 2013. Later that year, Lucky's entered Ohio with a Columbus location, marking the beginning of a rapid regional expansion. In 2014 it opened stores in Columbia and Ellisville, Missouri, Billings, Montana, and Louisville, Kentucky. During 2015 it entered Michigan, Wyoming, Indiana, Iowa, and Georgia. The company frequently selected college towns and food-oriented urban markets, where its natural-grocery assortment and casual atmosphere could appeal to younger and highly engaged shoppers. Lucky's entered Florida in 2016 and expanded there aggressively. Its growth coincided with expansion by other natural-food competitors, including Sprouts Farmers Market and Earth Fare. In April 2016, Kroger invested in Lucky's, giving the smaller chain capital and strategic support for a much larger store-opening program. Lucky's planned to build a substantial Florida presence and had eight Florida stores by late 2017. Additional openings occurred in Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Ohio, and Colorado, including a Fort Collins store in January 2019. At its 2019 peak, the chain reportedly operated 39 stores in ten states. The relationship with Kroger also created a product and supply connection. In August 2019, Lucky's began distributing Kroger's Simple Truth organic products. However, the company's rapid expansion did not produce sustainable financial performance. In December 2019, Kroger announced that it was divesting its investment. Kroger reported a $238 million impairment charge connected with the investment, including a $107 million net loss attributable to its minority interest, according to its public reporting. Bankruptcy filings later indicated that Kroger had held a 55 percent interest. Lucky's responded to the loss of Kroger support with a sweeping retrenchment. On January 21, 2020, it announced the closure of 20 of its 21 Florida stores and began liquidation sales the following day. On January 27, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Court materials described liabilities substantially greater than assets and listed thousands of creditors. The company sought buyers or replacement tenants for store locations, with Publix, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, Hitchcock's Markets, and Seabra Foods among the operators acquiring or taking over Florida locations. The Sharons acquired the remaining Lucky's stores during the bankruptcy process. The West Melbourne store closed soon afterward, and the surviving network continued to contract. The Ann Arbor and Traverse City stores in Michigan closed in early 2020; the Columbia, Missouri, store was sold to Schnucks; and the Cleveland and Columbus stores in Ohio were sold to Dave's Market. By April 2020, the Sharon-controlled business had been reduced to two Colorado stores, in Boulder and Fort Collins. The Ohio locations subsequently developed into a separate Lucky's Market business. Dave's Market owners acquired the stores and received exclusive rights to use the Lucky's name and brand within Ohio. This Ohio operation is not affiliated with the Colorado business. It added a Concord Township store in September 2021 and opened a second Columbus store in May 2024. The brand therefore survives in two distinct regional forms: a small Colorado operation associated with its founders and an Ohio operation managed by the owners of Dave's Market.
- 2024
Fourth Ohio store opens
[1]Lucky's Market Ohio opened its second Columbus location.
- 2021
Third Ohio store opens
[1]Lucky's Market Ohio opened a store in Concord Township.
- 2020
National retrenchment and bankruptcy
[1]Following Kroger's divestment, Lucky's closed most of its stores and filed for Chapter 11 protection.
- 2020
Ohio business separated from Colorado business
[1]Dave's Market owners acquired the Ohio stores and obtained exclusive Ohio rights to the Lucky's Market name.
- 2019
Peak of 39 stores
[1]The chain reached its reported high point of 39 stores across ten states.
- 2016
Kroger investment and Florida expansion
[1]Kroger invested in Lucky's, supporting accelerated expansion and a major Florida growth strategy.
- 2015
Expansion across five additional states
[1]Lucky's entered Michigan, Wyoming, Indiana, Iowa, and Georgia.
- 2014
Entry into Missouri, Montana, and Kentucky
[1]The chain broadened its regional footprint with stores in Missouri, Montana, and Kentucky.
- 2013
Expansion to Longmont and Columbus
[1]Lucky's opened a second Colorado store in Longmont and its first store outside Colorado in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2003
Lucky's Market founded in Boulder
[1]Bo and Trish Sharon founded the business after taking over and renovating North Boulder Market.
Products and positioning
A value-oriented natural and organic supermarket with a playful, food-focused atmosphere and localized community-store experience.
Grocery · 2003
Organic and natural grocery assortment
Lucky's core assortment centers on organic and natural foods, including fresh produce, packaged groceries, refrigerated items, dairy, meat, and specialty foods. The concept was designed to combine the product expectations of a natural-food supermarket with value-oriented pricing and a more informal environment than many conventional specialty grocers.
Prepared foods
Prepared foods and deli
Prepared foods and deli offerings formed part of Lucky's effort to make stores destinations for immediate consumption as well as routine grocery shopping. Store-level ranges varied by location, but the format emphasized ready-to-eat food, sampling, and an experience oriented toward food enthusiasts.
Beverages
Craft beer program
Many Lucky's stores featured craft beer sales, including beer served by the pint and sampling opportunities. Some stores encouraged customers to drink while shopping and equipped carts with cup holders, making the beer program a recognizable part of the brand's playful retail identity.
Private-label grocery · 2019
Simple Truth organic products
Beginning in 2019, Lucky's distributed Simple Truth organic products, a Kroger private-label range. The arrangement extended the commercial relationship between the two companies and added a recognizable national private-label assortment to Lucky's natural-food offering.
Brand decisions
2020
Close most stores and pursue bankruptcy restructuringStrategyBackground
After Kroger's withdrawal, Lucky's faced weak operating performance and could not sustain its expanded national store base.
Action taken
The company announced extensive closures, liquidated stores, filed for Chapter 11 protection, and sold or assigned locations to other grocery operators.
Aftermath
The chain contracted from a reported 39 stores at its peak to a small Colorado operation, while the Ohio stores became a separate business under Dave's Market ownership.
2019
Distribute Simple Truth organic productsStrategyBackground
Lucky's continued to deepen its commercial relationship with Kroger after the investment.
Action taken
Lucky's began distributing Kroger's Simple Truth organic private-label products.
Aftermath
The arrangement ended as the Kroger relationship was unwound and Lucky's entered a major financial contraction.
2019
Kroger divests its Lucky's investmentM&ABackground
Rapid expansion had not generated sustainable financial performance, and Kroger reassessed its minority investment.
Action taken
Kroger announced that it would divest its investment and recorded an impairment associated with Lucky's.
Aftermath
The loss of Kroger's support preceded widespread store closures and Lucky's Chapter 11 filing.
Kroger impairment charge and net loss attributable to its Lucky's interest. $238 million impairment charge, including a $107 million net loss attributable to Kroger's minority interest (Kroger fiscal third quarter 2019)
2016
Accept Kroger investment to accelerate expansionM&ABackground
Lucky's was expanding beyond Colorado and sought capital to support a substantially larger store network, particularly in Florida.
Action taken
The Kroger Co. made a major investment in Lucky's Market. Later bankruptcy materials indicated that Kroger owned 55 percent of the chain.
Aftermath
The investment helped Lucky's reach a reported peak of 39 stores in ten states, but Kroger later exited after the expansion failed to deliver sustainable results.
Recent events
Reported
Lucky’s Market agrees to sell seven Florida stores[2]
Lucky’s Market announced agreements to sell seven Florida store locations to Southeastern Grocers, Seabra Foods, and Hitchcock’s Markets. The article identifies five locations for Southeastern Grocers and one each for Seabra Foods and Hitchcock’s Markets.
Reported
Publix agrees to acquire Lucky’s Market store leases[3]
Publix had five leased-store agreements for Lucky’s Market locations in Florida, according to the article.
Reported
ALDI agrees to acquire Lucky’s Market locations[3]
Lucky’s Market signed asset purchase agreements with ALDI for five leased stores and one property. ALDI confirmed it was acquiring several Lucky’s Market locations in Florida.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Lucky’s Market signs asset purchase agreement with ALDI[4]
Lucky’s Market said it signed an asset purchase agreement with ALDI for five leased store properties and one owned property. The agreement remained subject to court approval and an overbidding process.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Lucky’s Market files for bankruptcy[5]
Lucky’s Market filed for bankruptcy, according to the article headline.
Reported
Lucky’s Market sells interests in six locations to ALDI[6]
Lucky’s Market spokeswoman Krista Torvik announced that the company had sold its interests in six locations to ALDI; five were leased properties and one was owned by Lucky’s. The locations were not disclosed.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Lucky's Market launches going-out-of-business sale[7]
Lucky's Market launched a going-out-of-business sale, with deep discounts on in-store merchandise planned for customers.
Reported
Lucky’s Market plans to close most Florida stores[8]
Lucky’s Market was reported to be closing most of its Florida grocery stores in February, with the West Melbourne store expected to be the only Florida location to remain open after Feb. 12.
Sources12 sources
- 1Lucky's Marketen.wikipedia.org
- 2Lucky’s Market 同意出售佛罗里达州的七家门店fox35orlando.com
- 3Publix 同意收购 Lucky’s Market 门店租约tallahassee.com
- 4Lucky’s Market与ALDI签署资产购买协议news.wjct.org
- 5Lucky’s Market申请破产bizwest.com
- 6Lucky’s Market 将六处门店权益出售给 ALDIsun-sentinel.com
- 7Lucky's Market推出停业清仓销售localnews8.com
- 8Lucky’s Market计划关闭佛罗里达州大部分门店orlandosentinel.com
- 9'We want to thank you for shopping with us': Lucky's Market to close in Savannahwjcl.com
- 10Lucky's Market announces closing date for Springfield storeky3.com
- 11Lucky's Market Files for Bankruptcymynews13.com
- 12Luckyâs Market Files for Bankruptcy — KnightNews.comknightnews.com
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