CINCINNATI — After nearly two decades, the Avondale neighborhood is no longer a food desert.
Hundreds of community members gathered to watch the ribbon cutting of The Country Meat Co. Marketplace, a new full-service grocery store.
Eager shoppers lined up to fill the store on Reading Road, representing hope and excitement for a fresh start in a neighborhood that has struggled with access to quality food.
Watch below to see how big the opening day crowd was:
Owner Tennell Bryant said the project was the most meaningful he’s experienced. The neighborhood has been without a full-service grocer since Aldi closed in 2008.
“The whole food desert has come to an end,” Bryant said. “This particular project was for the community.”
The Country Meat Co. Marketplace stands as a result of years of planning and community involvement.
In 2019, Reggie Harris spoke to WCPO about the idea for a grocery store as construction was underway at the Avondale Town Center. At the time, Harris was the community life senior manager at The Community Builders. He would later serve on Cincinnati's city council.
“We see this absolutely as a promise that we need to fulfill and that is a part of our vision,” Harris said at the time.
See our reporting from 2019:
Last fall, city council approved $250,000 for the store in its Capital Project Reserve from the previous year’s carryover budget. In a text at the time, council member Jeff Cramerding said it was to “get them over the top to open.”
Before the ribbon cutting, Harris said the owners are “making it look easy, but it is hard.”
“This crowd has to be here every day,” he said.
Ebony J. Wynn was one of the first customers to enter the store.
“I’m super excited, just because it’s for us,” she said. “I hope the owners felt supported, and I'm hoping that every time I drive past, this is what I'm seeing.”
Part of the business plan for the store is to make it more than just a place to pick up groceries but also a community hub. Many residents believe the store will strengthen local connections.
The store features fresh produce, a coffee bar, a full-service meat counter and essential grocery items.
Perry Ward, a lifelong Avondale resident and community council member, said he’s been waiting for a locally-owned grocery store like this for three decades.
Ward expressed confidence in the grocery store's permanence.
“Oh, I'm sure this is gonna be here," Ward said. "It's an African American store in an African American neighborhood.”
As customers filled their carts, a sense of excitement filled the aisles. Customers hugged each other as they took pictures. The store staff thanked shoppers.
Bryant, the owner, said his definition of success is rooted in his local customers.
“We plan on being here for a while and continuing to be that community hub,” Bryant said.
