STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – Imagine the convenience of being able to grab dinner, drinks, dessert and a few household items at one place, which happens to be located in your neighborhood. Take that one step further and imagine all of those things being delivered directly to your door with the click of a button. These dreams have become reality through Wild Plum Market.  

Florida natives Dave and Jen Sypert partnered with Jack and Mary McClurg in reimagining the Market on the Mountain.  Four years ago the market moved, but didn’t have to travel far – the Syperts and McClurgs opened their new space directly across the street from their old space, rebranding it as Wild Plum Market. “They were really the driving force behind this,” Dave says. “We wouldn’t have any involvement in this if it weren’t for Jack McClurg.”

Jack called Dave to share news of another man who was attempting to buy the Market on the Mountain and move it across the street, leasing the space from the McClurgs. This plan was hatched up during the end of the recession and as a result, the buyer’s plan fell through. When he backed out, the opportunity was left open for someone else. 

“Jack and I got together and decided to move forward with the idea ourselves,” Dave says. “This is kind of Bill and Kay Stuart’s plan, in a different wrapper.” There are a lot of similarities with the old Market on the Mountain, but there are a lot of differences as well.

It’s the same basic format – a grocery section, a kitchen in the middle with a bakery and sandwiches, and a liquor store with their added flair. The grocery side is very different than the original market, offering more specialty food items and a wider variety. 

“It was exciting to open this new business and get to choose all of the products,” Jen says. Realizing Whole Foods would never come to Steamboat, the Syperts used that chain of stores as model, taking that concept and imagining what that might look like in 2,000 square feet. 

The building is twice the size of the space that housed the Market on the Mountain, which offered the group more room to grow the kitchen, offering a pizzeria and a sandwich station. The market didn’t offer a complete kitchen, but Wild Plum does. 

A wine selection of nearly 500 bottles is proudly displayed on the liquor side, as well as a number of spirits and craft beers – many of which are from local distilleries and breweries. Prices range from $10 to hundreds of dollars, depending on what you’re looking for. 

Grocery Gals, a grocery delivery service, is another feature within Wild Plum. The group knew they wanted to offer this service, so they began looking into existing companies in town, eventually finding Grocery Gals and purchasing their website instead of starting from scratch. 

Customers can have anything from the store delivered to their doorstep for a fee. “Sometimes the person ordering isn’t even here,” Jen says. “Often, they’re just buying a gift basket to surprise their friends heading up for vacation. If you have a large group, you don’t always want to go grocery shopping with that many people. We offer free delivery once you hit $500.” 

The convenience of having a large amount of groceries delivered to get your group through their visit saves everyone a lot of time and effort. 

Wild Plum is located a short stroll from Steamboat Resort and all the surrounding lodging properties. Year-round locals enjoy all the market has to offer. For more information, visit http://www.wildplumgrocer.com