My reaction to another food desert story

"A long haul just to get their daily bread: Many parts of Seattle lack a grocery store within walking distance or a 30-minute bus ride," from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I sent this to the author of the story:

A big problem is that the scale of the supermarket industry has changed, focused on much bigger stores, and suburban locations. Irrespective of the SES issue, one of the big issues is grocery store size, plus industry consolidation.

By activists (and residents) looking for _BIG_ stores in their neighborhoods, they are missing opportunities to support smaller footprint stores more appropriately sized for urban neighborhoods, and the opportunity to develop locally owned businesses.

Portland, Oregon has a couple examples, although they are higher end: Zupans and New Seasons Market (health foods). But there is no reason to not be able to use them as examples.

There are also ethnically owned markets that can be assisted with expansion. In DC, we have two Pan Am International Markets in the city, plus one in the suburbs (plus two local health food chains, but with high prices). I shop there all the time because the prices are great, and they have fresh seafood and a butcher.

And who says you have to use the cooperative model just to sell expensive health foods? Harvest community capital for a smaller neighborhood-serving grocery store.

There is a big trend in the convenience store field to provide a greater variety of foods, including produce and prepared foods. There is nothing to prevent smaller footprint corner stores from doing the same thing.

Increasingly, DC has examples of corner stores that are repositioning as the neighborhoods change (LeDroit Market, Martin's Grocery at 3rd and F Streets NE, the two stores on the 400 block of East Capitol in Capitol Hill DC).

Let's help stores in lower income neighborhoods reposition, and work with the stores to foster community revitalization and improvement without having to change the demographcis of the neighborhood.

Martin's Market at 3rd and F Streets NE used to be known as the store closest to the CCNV shelter that was still allowed to sell single beers. (They don't anymore.) Now they sell fresh produce (albeit limited quantities) and organic foods and high end beverages.