Michigan-based Plum Market's much-anticipated Detroit store opens its doors Wednesday, giving downtown residents and workers a new place to spend their lunch or coffee breaks, grab or order dinner to take home or sip beer and wine.

Located on the first floor of the Ally Detroit Center at 500 Woodward Avenue, a couple of blocks south of Campus Martius, it’s Plum Market's first store billed as the upscale grocer's “condensed collection.”

“It’s health conscious meets foodie and the perfect spot to be as part of Detroit’s resurgence,” said Marc Jonna, who co-founded Plum Market with his brother, CEO Matt Jonna, in 2007.

Inside the store, on the bustling northeast corner of Woodward and Larned, this new concept blends a fast-casual dining experience of chef-crafted menu items with a small footprint of grocery essentials, convenience and apothecary items. There are several aisles where you’ll find boxes of crackers, packaged charcuterie and cheeses, grocery items and dairy section.

It’s open and airy, with the prepared foods toward the back and in the middle of the store and seating at the front. You can enter off the corner of Woodward and Larned or through the lobby of the Ally building.

While the overall concept is a condensed version of a full-service Plum Market store, expect it to be a breakfast, lunch and dinner spot, as well as a place to have a cup of coffee or to sit and have a glass of wine.

“What’s happened more with younger and older people is that everyone wants to eat healthy,” Marc Jonna said. “We need to teach our future generations and get out of the fast food nation. People will put premium gas in their car, but not premium food in their bodies.”

It’s a place to stop in on your way to the office to pick up a Zingerman’s coffee or grab a yogurt from the dairy section. Later, you can buzz in and choose lunch from various offerings on the hot bar, cold bar or salad or soup bar. There are rotating offerings from the build-your-own-meals bar from nachos to noodles to mac and cheese. Hot and cold bar items are priced at $11.99 per pound.

"They (Zingerman's) have been a great partner for the last 10 years, with their bakehouse operations, their coffee, their creamery,” Matt Jonna said.

You can also order entrées from the carving station, sandwiches or sushi bar, which is partnered with Mon Jin Lau. Carving station items and prices vary. For example, there’s four varieties of cedar plank salmon for $18 and includes two side choices for $18. There’s also a Niman Ranch beef sirloin, topped with onion, roasted tomatoes and garlic, capers, lemon, basil and seasonings. The white cheddar mac and cheese with a crispy pretzel topping is $12.99. There’s also a variety of prepared composed salads for $4.99-$5.99. Quarts of soups in glass mason jars go for $12.99.

In comparison, Detroit Whole Foods Market hot foods and salad bar is $8.99 per pound. Soups range from $4.99-$8.99.

Sandwiches at Plum Market, such as the Sonoma Club or tomato caprese, appear generous. They are $9.99 and served on Zingerman’s Bakehouse baguette. Premade, ready to grab-and-go salads are $7.99 and $10.99.

All the prepared foods are clearly marked with signs that include allergens, whether it’s gluten-free or vegan as well as calories, carbs, fat and protein amounts.

You can take out, grab-and-go or eat in. The 8,000-square-foot store has inside table seating for about 75 with seats along the Woodward Avenue side. There’s seating at the bar and coffee area. On the Larned side of the building, there’s outdoor seating for about 40. The wine program is curated by Madeline Triffon, Plum Market's well-known master sommelier, who has been with them since 2011.

Jonna said Plum Market is looking to take the concept nationally, with possible stores in D.C., L.A. and Miami.

At a glance: Plum Market downtown Detroit

Hours: 6 a.m.- 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8-8 Sat.-Sun.

Address: 500 Woodward (corner of Woodward and Larned)

Floral department

Zingerman's coffee

Beer and wine to-go

1 hour free parking at One Detroit Garage with validated purchased.

Grocery items including some frozen foods, dairy, beverages and packaged cold cuts and cheeses.

Spirit room for private events

Plum Market's focus is on a wide selection of prepared foods, natural and organic products, aimed at busy lifestyles. All their stores have the same mantra of “Live well, with Taste” with offerings of local ingredients, organic produce that is sourced whenever possible, all-natural and antibiotic free meats, sustainable seafood and more.

The high-end specialty, independent grocer has four full-line stores — Bloomfield, West Bloomfield, and two in Ann Arbor. They also have a store in Chicago. The full-serve stores are known for their combination of natural and organic products in food, beverage and wellness items.

The grocer also operates 15 fast casual dining-focused Plum Market Kitchen locations including one at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Oakland University. New locations are slated to open in 2019 including one at the Henry Ford in Dearborn and Detroit Piston’s Performance Center.

Contact Susan Selasky: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.