Over the years Glen’s Garden Market in Washington, D.C., has earned a dedicated following of shoppers who value the store’s commitment to local foods and eco-friendly practices. So when owner Danielle Vogel decided to move on to other career aspirations, it was important to her that the store didn’t close. Instead, she sold it to Dawson’s Market owner Bart Yablonsky, growing his location count from one store in Rockville, Maryland, to two.

“We’ve known each other for quite some time, and Danielle reached out to me in March of this year explaining that she wanted to move on from the store, but pass it on instead of closing,” Yablonsky says. “I never had any intentions of doing another location, but there are so many similarities between the two stores that I felt it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Indeed, the two stores share the same strong commitment to local products and community, as well as many of the same vendors.

“Glen’s Garden Market also has a phenomenal staff, and finding great staff is one of the hardest things to do in a new business,” Yablonsky says. “So all of the existing staff at Glen’s is welcome to keep their jobs when we open as Dawson’s.” The store is in a transition period at the moment, but Yablonsky expects all branding and signage to switch completely to Dawson’s by the end of the summer.

Yablonsky is also planning to make some positive changes that he hopes will delight longtime Glen’s shoppers. He plans to bring in additional clean regional and national brands that do well in the Rockville location, as well as add in dessert, cakes and meat and seafood items (including the bestselling Rockville crabcakes).

“This acquisition changes our business vision entirely,” Yablonsky adds, “but it’s a great opportunity for both locations to improve.”