The Black-owned full-service grocery store, Indy Fresh Market, is now open in Indianapolis!

The store is located at 6160 E. 38th Street near Sheridan Avenue, WISH TV reports. And with its opening, community members now have a place to buy food in what was previously considered a food desert in Indianapolis.

Indy Fresh Market will be a savior to residents of Indianapolis’ east side who have been relying on gas stations to buy food. The closest grocery store is about three miles away, and shoppers cannot access it on the bus line.

Now, people in the community have a place to buy healthy foods at an affordable price point.

The store’s owners, Michael McFarland and Marckus Williams, are both from the Arlington Woods neighborhood and are leading the store together. Indy Fresh Market has been in the works for about two years. And their goal is to add other grocery stores in all Indianapolis food deserts.

“Feeding low-access and low-income citizens is a passion of mine,” Williams said.

According to Indy Fresh Market’s website, McFarland and Williams, spent their childhood playing on the very grounds that are now home to their business venture. As lifelong best friends, McFarland and Williams used to take on various odd jobs in and around the neighborhood. Their dedication and commitment to their community served as a catalyst for their vision of establishing a place that would provide exceptional grocery shopping experiences for their fellow Indianapolis residents.

The project is an extension of Cook Medical Group in partnership with Goodwill Commercial Services’ community revitalization plan. The project will add about 100 jobs to the Marion County economy. Indy Fresh Market is expected to have a one-time economic impact of $11.1 million dollars, plus an annual impact of $4.6 million in wages.

Photo by WTHR