After watching a television news special on the availability– or lack thereof–of fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, in some of the city’s minority communities, a Black entrepreneur was moved to take action.Now if we could find a grocery store that could replace that Dollar Store on 87th and King Drive.
Karriem Beyah knew it was time for him to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning his own grocery store.
Beyah, a native Chicagoan, bought the space that is now Farmers Best Market, 1424 W. 47th St., in June. The store is purposely located between a Black neighborhood and a Hispanic one, with Chinatown and Bridgeport nearby, Beyah told the Defender. He chose this location because of the multicultural area.
“I would see these businesses flourishing in other communities and wonder why it wasn’t in African American communities. I said when I got the opportunity I will do it myself, and it stopped being a question,” Beyah said.
The store has been open since July 1 but will have its grand opening October 1.
Beyah credits working in his godfather’s grocery store as a child for his passion for the grocery business. He went on to spend 19 years in corporate America, working for Dean Foods, before starting his own distribution company.
Beyah said statistics show that African Americans don’t shop where Hispanics shop, so his goal was to break the barrier and create a place where everyone could come together and feel comfortable.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
New Black-owned grocery store offers a fresh market
It's not the Chatham Food Center or even located in the Chatham neighborhood, but there's still a black-owned grocery out there:
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