Bathurst’s Big Deal Market is Bringing Its Bulk Food Store to Riverview
RIVERVIEW – Big Deal Market, a bulk food and produce store that has operated in Bathurst for 40 years, is opening a second location at the Fundy Chocolate River Station in Riverview.
Business owner Wayne Hachey said the move was made so he and his wife can be closer to family.
“All my children live here. [Son] Corey will be the manager of [the Riverview] store,” he said. “We checked Dieppe, we checked Moncton and we’d seen this spot that seems to be a nice [place] for it.”
Hachey, who owns the shop with his wife, Jeanne, bought the business 20 years ago. But it remains a humble family business.
“We still have one small store in Bathurst. We have three staff there,” he said.
The Riverview location will span 1,300 square feet, taking up the space where Unplugged Board Games Cafe used to be. Hachey will have at least six people working there.
The store carries various fruits and vegetables, spices, candies, flours, beans and other baking goods. Hachey is also currently looking at local farms to source various organic products.
“We’re different than a bulk barn because our bulk stuff is all pre-packaged, so there’s no cross contamination that way,” he said. “And we have a lot of gluten-free flours, coconut flours, almond flours. We carry a lot of extracts, raisins, nuts. It’s a fine place if you want to find something to bake with.”
Big Deal Market is often described as “a cross between a bulk barn and a country market,” said Riverview Economic Development Director Shane Thomson.
But the location in Riverview has a warm and rather modern interior, so far. The Hacheys are still putting in decorations ahead of the June 23 opening date.
Thomson said the store would fit the quirkiness of the Fundy Chocolate River Station, which used to be a fire hall.
“[The building] is meant to be a destination, so whenever we can find a unique offering to install there, that’s our mission,” he said. “A little bit of culture, a little bit of local [flavour], businesses that align with the values the town has in terms of its sustainability plan. And we want businesses to succeed, so we want businesses that are attractive to the residents of Riverview but also can attract people from across the river as well.”
Thomson said the town aims to keep the space fully-leased.
“We had a cafe leave there late last year and we’re looking to lease the space. And we’re happy to see a tenant come along that offers a unique offering.”