Peek inside Indy Fresh Market, new east side grocery
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During a recent visit, the store was well stocked. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
It's been five years since the last big box grocery store left the far east side neighborhood where Indy Fresh Market is now open.
Why it matters: Access to fresh and affordable food is critical for maintaining healthy communities.
Between the lines: Easy access via public transit is part of the design of Indy Fresh Market — built to serve a neighborhood that suffered disinvestment and turned into a food desert.
- "This has a great impact on the community, not only because of the amount of fresh and good quality food that they have here, but also the ease of being able to take public transportation to get here," said Greg Garrett, deputy director of the United Northeast Community Development Corporation.
Details: Founded by Michael McFarland and Marckus Williams, Indy Fresh Market replaced a 2,000-square-foot store that the pair had operated nearby for two years before closing it in 2021 to focus on the new space.
- The store is more than 16,000 square feet and filled with more than 25,000 unique items.
- Williams said the deli, serving homemade fried chicken and other prepared food, is a favorite addition.
- Plans are in the works to expand the deli menu.
Quick take: During a recent open house, the store was well stocked with rows of fresh fruits and vegetables, employees filling shelves and freezer doors gleaming in brightly lit aisles.
What they're saying: "You can literally come here and get everything," said Erika Hicks, shopping for her mom on a recent afternoon, "not just this or that, and then you have to go to another store. That makes it really awesome."
- Hicks said she's lived in the neighborhood her whole life and watched stores close until there was nothing left.
- "This is a big win for everybody in this area," she said.