[2][3] It sells natural and organic food that the company claimed to have the highest product standards in the United States (free of various artificial additives, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones and antibiotics),[4][5] and was one of the largest natural and organic food retailers in the country.

[7] Founded by Roger Derrough in 1975,[8] the first store opened its doors in Asheville, North Carolina as "Dinner for the Earth".

[9] Initially, Dinner for the Earth offered only organic dried bulk foods in wood barrels and wellness products on handmade shelves.

Two years later, the store expanded to a second location in Charleston, South Carolina, and thereafter continued its expansion to "mid-sized metros, with the savvy and wealth to support a healthy supermarket and no competition in the niche.

[15][16] While it sold food from around the world, the company also operated the policy of "100 mile Commitment" to sell as much local produce as possible from within a 100-mile radius of the store.

[23][24] In August 2023, Earth Fare closed its location in Portage, Michigan, due to poor performance.