PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Once a blighted community and food desert, Sharswood, a neighborhood in North Philadelphia, is making a comeback. A grocery store there is celebrating its one-year anniversary.
Until 2022, the last time Sharswood had a full-service grocery store was in the 1960s, and it happened to be owned by the grandparents of Donta Rose, the young man who now owns and operates the Grocery Outlet at 25 West Hortter Street. He says, after one year, he’s sure of his calling and is happy to serve the community.
“The staff being from the community, the customers being people who needed this, who would have had to get on buses — it just shows that it's a vital thing, and the store has been growing since Day One.”
Rose has maintained a staff of between 25 and 30 employees the entire year. Most of them are from the community.
Related
Philadelphia Housing Authority President Kelvin Jeremiah says Sharswood is no longer a redlined neighborhood devoid of meaningful investments.
“We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this community, making it into a community of choice so that the families who lived here, frankly, when it wasn't fashionable, can continue to live here now that it is fashionable.”
To celebrate, Grocery Outlet will host a wellness fair on Friday where there will be health screenings, yoga instruction and therapists on hand.