Colorado-based Natural Grocers is the latest natural and organic food retailer to enter the market with the grand opening Saturday of its first store in Richardson at the northwest corner of Coit and Campbell roads.

The company plans as many as four stores in the Dallas area and more in other Texas cities, said Kemper Isely, a son of the chain’s founders, who operate the 28-store chain with his siblings. He’s looking along Greenville Avenue in Dallas, Flower Mound, Plano and Southlake. A store opens in Amarillo in November.

The Richardson store is about 14,000 square feet and specializes in dietary specific needs including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher. The company’s roots are in vitamin and mineral supplements, but the store carries groceries, health and beauty supplies, fresh meats and poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables, frozen foods and baked goods.

The stores offer no paper or plastic bags, except in produce, but boxes are on hand for shoppers who forget to bring reusable bags.

The store is located across the street from a Sprouts Farmers Market. Sprouts, a chain of natural food stores based in Phoenix, opened its first area store here in 2005.

The Isely family founded privately-held Natural Grocers in 1955 as the Vitamin Cottage. The company operates stores in Colorado, New Mexico and enters Utah next year.

Sunflower Farmers Market, a Colorado-based organic and natural supermarket chain is also expanding here and in Texas.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market Inc. has two stores under construction in Dallas in Lakewood and Park Lane.

Mr. Isely said the market is growing as more people become aware of organics and the benefits of natural foods. The company’s best store is 100 feet away from a Whole Foods in Boulder, he said.

Marketing manager Nancy Flynn said the company has an online store and already had a strong customer base from the Dallas area.

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