Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio, is like no other grocery store in the United States. For starters, it’s massive.
It measures in at over 200,000 square feet, making it one of the largest grocery stores in the U.S. (It has a second location as well, bringing the two stores to over 500,000 square feet combined.) Founded by James O. Bonaminio (aka “Jungle Jim”), who started selling produce from a roadside stand in 1971, the business eventually grew into the massive market it is today.
Bonaminio’s one-of-a-kind market doubles as an amusement park—complete with a monorail, animatronics, and even a wedding venue. Check out one of the wildest places in America to buy groceries:
How Jungle Jim’s came to be
An entrepreneur from an early age, Bonaminio worked 21-hour days at his first produce stand in 1971. For the next few years, he continued to take over vacant parking lots to set up stands.
“For four years, we went from corner to corner because we didn’t have any money,” Bonaminio told The Morning Brew. “We lived in a gas station for two years.”
But in 1974, land became available for a permanent location. With little credit and the help of a kind co-signer, Bonaminio was able to purchase the property, while local connections helped him secure the necessary permits. By 1975, he was approved to open what would go on to become the megastore. Since its start, the market has undergone numerous expansions.
“You fight for every nickel and dime, and you don’t have time to get on a private airplane,” Bonaminio said. “You got to be here and you got to bust it, and work it and work it and work it.”
Crazy food items
The selection of products available at Jungle Jim’s is wild. Items from more than 70 countries are available for purchase. The International Department alone boasts more than 70,000 items, with more than 180,000 products available throughout the market, according to The Morning Brew.
And the selection features truly unique and rare items that can be hard to find at other American grocery stores. Items like camel milk, kangaroo jerky, ostrich eggs, and ground yak. The store also boasts a “Butter Bar,” filled with butters from Europe, America, and beyond.
The store also has a Pet Department that offers some crazy products—such as New Zealand dog and cat food made from brushtail and wallaby
There is also an impressive Wine and Beer Department, with more than 17,000 wine options. (Shoppers can even have a drink while they shop.) And the Produce Department covers a whopping 1.5 acres.
And yes, there’s a wedding venue
People who love Jungle Jim’s, or are just looking for a unique place to say “I do,” can get married on-site at the store’s Oscar Event Center. (It has a capacity of up to 750 guests.)
Besides the wedding venue, the market also has another indoor/outdoor event space, as well as its own cooking school.
“This is a destination,” Jungle Jim’s podcast host and content creator told The Morning Brew. “You see people on first dates here all the time. Our average customer shop time is around three hours.”
Bonaminio added, “People don’t like to grocery shop. I took it and turned it into a fun thing [to do] with the family.”
