Sparrow Market: A Town’s Favorite Locale

Sparrow Market's Meat Counter

For many, Sparrow Market is not just a trip to the grocery store. It is an outing. A place where one is bound to walk into someone he or she knows while shopping, eating lunch, or sipping coffee. On any day of the week, Sparrow Market is a bustling neighborhood grocery store inside Kerrytown Market & Shops, located in downtown Ann Arbor. This Ann Arbor iconic fixture is a quick walk for the residents of Kerrytown, and well worth the drive for all other residents and visitors of Ann Arbor.

“I don't know what they do to their meat, but it is simply the best place to get your meat in town. While there are more expensive/fancier places to buy your meats, I think the other places cannot beat the quality of meat you can get from here. Whether it is pork belly or a delicious but relatively cheap porterhouse steak, I can always count on Sparrow meat market to deliver the goods. –Rhubarb K. from Ann Arbor, MI.

Old World Feel in Modern Times

Upon entering Sparrow Market, one may feel as though he or she has stepped into a grocery store of old. The type one hears about in a grandmother’s childhood tale. Owners Bob Sparrow and his wife envisioned a meat market to serve top quality, grass-fed beef to the Kerrytown residents. In 1984, they setup their butcher counter inside Kerrytown Market and Shops.  At any given time, customers can inquire at ease of any of the butchers about the Sparrow Market’s inventory of Grade A, USDA choice cuts of beef, veal, lamb, specialty sausages, Amish poultry, and exotic birds. Bob himself is happy to offer advice as to how to prepare, cook, and decide which side dishes best compliment the meats.  

“I struck up conversation with the guy behind the meat counter for about ten minutes - nicest guy in the world, and took the time to tell me any / everything about every meat under the counter....turns out it was the owner. I can't tell you how impressed and proud I am to have this in my community.” – Jerry K from Ann Arbor, MI.

Over time Sparrow Market became successful, which allowed Bob to expand the market to include a grocery store. In the center of the market are the perfectly even aisles of produce and other grocery necessities, most of which come from Michigan farms and businesses. Bob plans to keep his commitment to growing Sparrow Market, along with adding more prepared foods and produce from local farms.  Most recently he created Sparrow Athletics to supplement Sparrow Market’s food and support the residents in their goals for a healthy lifestyle.

Sparrow Market’s bustling atmosphere is also due to its location—the original village of Ann Arbor. This historical area was home to three major buildings built in 1874:  Luick Brothers Lumber Company; the Godfrey Moving and Storage owned by Cecil O Creal; and a feed and grain building. Tremendous care and renovation bring these three buildings together to house the Kerrytown Market and Shops. The buildings’ brick and wooden beam exterior remains true to its historical look where one can see the Ophlam Stone, a treaty stone sculpture of Pieter Koning, which symbolizes a historical connection to Ireland. This connection comes from the first settlers of Kerrytown --the Kerry family of Ireland. The interior building, however, keeps up with the modern times that accommodate and appeal to visitors of every age.

For more information about Sparrow Market, follow them at www.sparrowmarket.com.