Shopping at Red Tomato Market is like picking right from the garden
Red Tomato Market features a mural depicting Mt. Eaton history on it’s north wall overlooking wide aisles
of quality products.
Few things in the garden define freshness and taste like a ripe tomato plucked right off the vine.
For Red Tomato Market in Mt. Eaton, every day is like one of those fresh red-ripe tomatoes.
Steve and Miriam Swartzentruber had the dream of opening a market that featured aisles of luscious produce. In 2013, they turned a vacant lot into Red Tomato Market, a colorful and satisfying store that features everything great about Amish Country’s home-grown produce.
“We wanted to create something that utilized the incredible wealth of local produce growers and featured the finest, freshest products available,” Steve Swartzentruber said.
The name itself speaks volumes about the market, although when Miriam suggested the name to her husband, he wasn’t immediately smitten.
“Over the next three days I kept thinking about that name and what it represented, and it dawned on me that it was perfect,” Swartzentruber said.
Because of its central location in Mt. Eaton, Red Tomato Market is easy to find. The store features fresh produce, organic milk, bulk food items, fresh baked goods, spices, gluten-free products, deli and household sundry items. A bounty of meats and cheeses can be found in the deli.
The store also houses a café, where patrons can order sandwiches, soups and salads that are made to order with fresh ingredients, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They even create homemade pizzas from scratch that are ready to take home and slide into the oven for an easy meal.
“Our deli has far exceeded our expectations,” Swartzentruber said. “We have a big lunch crowd every single day and that café has really taken off. I think people like the ability to make their own sandwiches and salads with fresh-cut ingredients.”
The Swartzentrubers have committed to purchasing much of their produce and products locally. Seasonal produce comes directly from local growers and local produce auction. Not only do they like being able to stock their shelves and deli with fresh products on a daily basis, they enjoy supporting local farmers who have made a commitment to growing the freshest produce available.
“People love the idea of purchasing home-grown and locally-grown produce because they know it is going to be top quality,” Swartzentruber said. “We want our customers to be able to purchase the best, no matter what they are buying and the culture of what is produced locally is incredible.”
He added that they also carry a huge supply from another local company, Gerber Chicken, noting that Gerber’s is simply the best quality chicken available.
Shoppers enjoy the ease of wide aisles and the beauty of murals painted on the north wall that tells the story of Mt. Eaton. The original paintings were created by local artist Sue Kaufman and her assistants.
“They spent 800 hours painting these murals and people really enjoy the local history,” Swartzentruber said.
It hasn’t taken the market long to become a staple for many shoppers, whether it is fresh produce and deli, ingredients to bake grandma’s favorite recipe or cleaning products.
With 11 roads coming into Mt. Eaton, it could be said that all roads lead to Red Tomato Market, instead of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there is a plethora of freshness, taste and variety that customers can immerse themselves in.
Red Tomato Market is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is located at 16000 East Main street in Mt. Eaton. Visit them at: www.RedTomatoMarketFoods.com.