Sprouts Farmers Market, a grocery chain with an emphasis on natural and organic fruit and veggies, will open its first location in Fresno in mid-May.

The store is taking over the the former Sports Authority on North Blackstone Avenue in the same shopping center as Bed Bath & Beyond.

Sprouts is a Phoenix-based chain with 150 stores.

Often compared to Whole Foods, it showcases its fresh produce, putting the fruit and veggies in the middle of the store.

It claims its produce is 25-30% less expensive than other grocery stores.

The store is a full grocery with meat, dairy, deli and seafood sections, along with 300 bulk items.

Once a little upstart, Sprouts has been growing through mergers and is on an expansion kick into Northern, and now Central California.

Details: Sprouts.com.

Get well

The Fresno doctor behind the avecinia wellness center in Fresno has opened a new location in Clovis.

Dr. Unaiza K. Hayat has combined her skills as a primary-care doctor with alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, to create a 6,000-square-foot health and wellness center.

The office is at 2006 Shaw Ave., across from the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Clovis.

Hayat opened in December, but held a grand opening on Wednesday.

The center looks more like a salon than a doctor's office. The waiting room has an espresso bar, a fireplace and big-screen television. One wing houses holistic practices while the other is reserved for medical checkups.

Hayat said her goal is to educate patients and help them make good decisions about their health.

She also works with Whole Foods and Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins to design recipes for diabetes patients and helps businesses create corporate wellness programs.

"We want to be your partner in well-being," Hayat said.

The office is accepting new patients. Details: avecinia.com.

Farm friendly help

Accountant James Randles is opening JOB, a new business in Kerman aimed at helping small farm-labor contractors navigate a maze of accounting, personnel, workers compensation and occupational safety issues.

Randles spent more than 20 years in farm-labor management, including a turn as vice president of one of California's largest farm-labor contractors.

But many small labor contractors "don't have the time, the resources or the expertise to deal with regulation compliance, insurance or changing legislation," Randles said.

"I wanted to open this business and give them a one-stop shop for all of those services."

The business name is an acronym for Jame-O-Bookkeeping. Jame O was Randles' nickname from when he was a motorcycle racer.

His office is at 215 S. Madera Ave., phone (559) 477-4874.

Randles, who was born and raised in Fresno, earned a bachelor's degree in business administration focusing on financial accounting from National University, and also has a doctor of theology from Bible Based School of Theology in Stockton.