KITCHENER — Farm Boy is bringing its fresh market store concept to Kitchener.

The eastern-Ontario based retailer plans to open a 22,000-square foot store in a new building at 385 Fairway Rd. before Christmas, chief executive officer Jeff York said Wednesday.

"What we're going to bring to Kitchener is the best fresh shopping experience with great, friendly staff," he said. "It's going to be a pleasant experience."

What sets Farm Boy stores apart is a commitment to fresh, local produce, meats and cheeses, York said.

"We're not a grocery store," he said, comparing the company's outlets instead to indoor farmers' markets. "It's very visual. We try to hit all the senses."

York said the company already is actively searching for local suppliers for the Kitchener location.

The stores also carry a wide range of items under the Farm Boy label, ready-to-heat fresh meals and a large self-serve salad bar. The store will have an eating area as well.

The Kitchener store will be located in the Fairway Plaza at Fairway Road and Wilson Avenue.

It will be the 19th Farm Boy location since the first store opened in Cornwall in 1981. Outside of eastern Ontario, there are three stores in London, with another expected to open in Whitby this summer.

York said Farm Boy expects to open as many as seven more stores in southwestern Ontario in the next two years.

"We think we should have three stores in Kitchener-Waterloo," he said.

The Fairway Road store will employ about 150 people in a mix of full and part-time roles.

"We lean to more full-time than part-time," York said. "Kitchener's got a really good work ethic."