JANE LEW, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Fruitful Market opened its doors for business about a month ago, after Hannah Furby and her husband jumped at the opportunity when the building went up for sale.
The Furby family had always wanted to open a produce and meat market, and they felt that this was their chance. While looking for a restaurant name, they first searched for titles where both their names were incorporated, but one night, Furby opened her bible and came across a verse that said, “go forth and be fruitful.” She said the word fruitful just stuck, so they named the restaurant “The Fruitful Market.”
They carry produce and meat items along with daily lunch specials and baked goods, such as donuts, pepperoni rolls, sausage rolls, homemade pies and cupcakes. They also have salads and sandwiches every day, and a special for the day that is always made fresh, no matter what it is.
Their specials are based on demand, what people ask for during the week or what fresh produce or meat they have left. When our 12 News reporter Makayla Schindler went for a visit, she was served a spaghetti special with homemade tomato sauce and a slice of warm fresh baked bread. The special also came with a side salad.
A lot of their products are locally made. They have somebody who makes candles to sell at the market, a lady who is going to start making T-shirts, and local honey makers. Furby mentioned that it supports the community and brings a lot of local things in.
Walking into the market, you will instantly see all the products that they have available, homemade baked goods like fruit pizzas, cobblers and donuts, and a selection of meat, including ribeyes, sirloins, breakfast and Italian sausage, and whole chickens. To top everything off, the market also has iced coffees and hand-dipped ice cream for the kids.
The Fruitful Market gets its produce from a man who goes around to different farms collecting, and they also bring tomatoes and peppers from their own garden. Sometimes they will even go to the eastern panhandle to get peaches and apples, but overall, they try to keep everything as local as possible.
Hannah Furby has said that the restaurant has been a challenge but that she is beyond grateful to the community of Lewis County because they were welcomed with open arms. She is also a nurse at United Hospital Center, and they have been super accommodating and are making it easy to leave her day job and go to work with the restaurant. The restaurant is still a bit new, and Furby said it has been a big learning experience but that she is happy with how things are going so far.
Customers should expect a calm environment with friendly staff. The biggest thing Furby wants potential customers to know is that they are a family-owned business, so they are very family-oriented. Furby and her husband have three kids, so they can be found running around the market at times. Her mother and grandmother help by coming in and baking. She also added that everything that is baked and made is fresh and homemade.
“I really just think it would be great to have a successful business in Jane Lew, because there’s nothing like it in Jane Lew. There’s not really a market where people can grab like produce, meat quickly without going to a bigger store. So I think it’s really good to get it out, do something local. A lot of our product is locally made,” Furby said when discussing why her restaurant is important to the community.
This market is about four minutes off of the Jane Lew I-79 exit at 5898 Main Street, Jane Lew, WV 26378. They invite everyone to come out and see what they are all about between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
If interested, you can find more information on daily specials and specific items here.