Pop-up grocery store thrives on Chicago's West Side, offers affordable options for shoppers

CHICAGO - The Garfield Park Grocery Store Pop-Up is now open.

The storefront will ensure residents can access groceries while a nearby Save-A-Lot closes for renovations.

The pop-up store operator, Samantha Taylor says many people can’t imagine not having easy access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein, but this is a daily reality for West Side residents.

When the Save-A-Lot closed for renovations, it made matters worse. Residents had to travel miles to get to the closest grocery store.

"If you don’t have a car, if you’re a senior, and you can only get there by hitchhiking, walking, or the bus, then you’re limited to how much you can get a ride to go," said Samantha.

The pop-up has had two other stints on West Madison Street in West Garfield Park, and there has always been a good response.

Angela Taylor is the wellness coordinator for Garfield Park Community Council. She doesn’t just call the community a food desert – she says it's a food island.

"We also ask the families when they come in, and they’re doing their shopping to let us know what we are missing, so we can hopefully incorporate that in our inventory as we move forward," said Angela.

Samantha says for such a small space, it makes a big difference. But they need the community to show up for this to be sustainable.

"If the data and the numbers show that this is a necessity. So we need help; help us get us what we need," said Samantha.

Betty Cooper from Austin says she will be one of the constants that keeps coming back.

"Easy access, you know. You don’t have to look for everything. You come in and can basically visualize everything that’s in the market," said Cooper.

The community already wants to make the pop-up permanent, but they would need more funding. The organizers have applied for a Small Business Storefront Activation grant from the city, and they expect to hear back later this month.

The pop-up is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – through December 21.