Berens Market Buys Hartman’s Family Foods

Brandon Berens announced today the purchase of Hartman’s Family Foods by Berens Market. He said the deal will be finalized on January 15. Hartman’s Family Foods will close its doors that same day. 

According to Brandon, Berens Market bought the building in Milbank along with the business from Bob and Linda Hartman. Berens Market plans to sell the building. 

“This deal was a long time in the making,” Brandon said, “Bob Hartman approached Tom and Bob (Berens) back before Covid hit, and then, everything just got dropped. So, in fact, this all started before I had purchased Berens.”

How does he feel about the sale? He used the word awesome several times and said, “I have offered all the employees from Hartman’s a job at our store.”

“And,” he said, “it will be awesome for the community, too.”  What can they expect?  Brandon says, “Fresher products! Right now Milbank has two stores trying to keep products with fresh dates. At Beren’s, we currently have two food delivery trucks coming each week, and that will change to three trucks a week. So, the food will be fresher. I’m also really excited about the produce. We will be getting fresh fruits and vegetables on six trucks a week now.”

Also, according to Brandon, the community will not go very long without a deli or the fried chicken currently offered at Hartman’s. “We should be up and running with our deli including our fried chicken by spring.”

Plans to build a new Berens Market have been in the works for months and Brandon says construction is now slated to begin this fall with a completion date set for Spring 2023.

It’s always difficult to see a decades-old business close. Brandon, who is a third-generation grocer in the Berens family says, “Hartman’s have always run a successful store. Yes, there has been a competitive business rivalry, but we are still family friends with mutual respect.”