Our History

In December of 2003, 2 local couples met and formed a plan to bring a natural food store to Waukesha County which would offer local residents an opportunity to shop for healthy alternatives to conventional, mass-produced foods. Since neither couple had any extensive background in the grocery business, the store was planned from the eyes of the customer.

On January 26 of 2005, Good     Harvest Market opened its doors. The store floor plan was designed with ease of shopping in mind - about 1/5 the size of most conventional grocery stores, wider aisles, and relaxing colors which calmed the mind and body. 

The store was also built using recycled materials and with as many energy efficient components as possible. The heat from the refrigeration units, for instance, is used to heat the store, reducing carbon emissions. In fact, Good Harvest pays for 100% renewable energy through the WE Energies Energy for Tomorrow program. No plastic bags have ever been used for packing groceries; instead we use either paper or reusable canvas bags.

While the early years were difficult financially as the store and its staff went through typical new company challenge, Good Harvest, now in its fourteenth year, is thriving. This financial stability has allowed us to increase the number of locally grown and produced foods, as well as use some of our profits to directly impact and better our community.

In 2015 Good Harvest built a wonderful new building to move its operations to.  While all departments were enlarged, the greatest increases were seen in the Cafe, Produce, Wellness and Bulk departments, with the Harvest Cafe adding daily breakfast and dinner to its menu of options.  Many more seats for dining were added as well as a larger "comfy" area for sipping coffee and conversing with friends.

In 2018 we started looking into putting up a multi-use building on our adjacent lot which would include a restaurant/tap room to serve our Good Harvest Market community as well as the travelers staying at the new hotel built next door. Cost constraints put a kibosh on that project however the name of the tap room Hop Harvest & Vine made its way into Good Harvest with the rebranding and remodeling of the Harvest Café space.

In 2023 we added on to the current building with a pavilion which overlooks our 17 acre land conservation area.  Enclosed late in 2023, the pavilion serves as a place to enjoy family and friends and to rent out for parties, reunions, business meetings and even weddings.   

Our draft selection went from 3 to 22 taps featuring over a dozen Waukesha and Milwaukee craft beers, hard and soft Kombuchas, hard ciders plus dozens of Wisconsin craft beers, ciders and seltzers available by can or bottle. Red and white wines are available by the glass or pick out your favorite bottle of wine from our selection in the store and we will uncork it for just $5 to enjoy during your visit.

We take pride in our ingredients serving 100% certified organic produce, all-natural pasture-raised meats and sustainably sourced seafood.

 

 

We look forward to seeing you!