Fairfax market planning growth

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Marvelous Market, a Fairfax chain of restaurants that sells gourmet food to go, plans to open up to 50 new franchise locations in the District and Virginia over the next 2 1/2 years.

Its first franchise location is scheduled to open next month on Seventh Street Southeast. After expanding in the District and Virginia, Marvelous Market hopes to open stores in Maryland, said Katie Magers, a spokeswoman for Fransmart, an Alexandria company that assists restaurant chains in franchising.

"Marvelous Market is really kind of its own niche. It's not on a whole grocery level, but its not a 7-Eleven," Ms. Magers said. "We call them a gourmet convenience store."

Like many other restaurant owners, owner and Chief Executive Officer Michael Meyer touted Marvelous Market's healthy dining options that are made from scratch and include natural ingredients -- up to a point.

"Our customers don't care about organic," he said. "Our customers care that there are no artificial colors or flavors -- that it's real food."

Mr. Meyer and business partner Chris Brookfield pulled the company out of bankruptcy in 1996 after it grew too quickly and took on too much debt.

"It was managed by a baker, not a business guy. It was a little more difficult than they all imagined," Mr. Meyer said. "That's so far in the rearview mirror, it's a different world from us now. We're a very different company."

Mr. Meyer and Pascal Bouvier run it today.

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