A local investment group has bought the East Lake Village Market from Western Market.

Local grocer Jeff Gentry, who is part of the unnamed investment group, said the group took over operations at Village Market in East Lake on Monday. He said shoppers should expect operations to go as normal. The existing employees will still work at the store, he said.

“That’s our goals is to provide people food in the community and to allow folks in the East Lake community to have access to food in their neighborhood,” Gentry said. “People were very upset (Village Market was for sale) and we were glad we were able to help the community and keep the store open and allow people to have access to healthy food options.”

Western Supermarkets announced it would discontinue operations in January. The Lane Parke location in Mountain Brook, and its Rocky Ridge store in Vestavia Hills, were sold to Publix.

Shoppers should also expect more healthy options at Village Market and some small renovations in the coming weeks.

Gentry would not disclose the name of the investment group or financial terms of the Village Market sale.

The group also owns Hoover-based Organic Harvest, which will now operate under the new name “Harvest Market.” Two new Harvest Market locations will be opening this spring and summer. A Harvest Market store will open in the old Parisian department store building in Birmingham at 1924 2nd Avenue North.

A third location at the Village at Brocks Gap is set to open in July or August, Gentry said. The original Harvest Market location opened in 2005 on Montgomery Highway in Hoover. Hiring for those locations will happen soon.

All Harvest Market locations will have hot food and salad bars, coffee bars, juice bars, beer and wine selections and a deli.