Gem City Market logo from gemcitymarket.com
A full-service grocery store with the mission of making healthy food accessible to everyone will break ground this June.
The Gem City Market, a community project, aims to increase the accessibility of food to residents in the Dayton area.
“It is our desire for the market to provide a community that has lacked access to healthy and quality food and provide access,” said Kenya Baker, community engagement director for Co-op Dayton and the Gem City Market.
The market will be located at 300 Salem Ave., Dayton. Market representatives say the store will be open by 2020.The future location of the market was determined based on factors including education, access to healthcare and access to healthy foods.
Erica Bruton, the driving force behind the market, began to assimilate members of the community to discuss the needs of the community back in 2015.
Dayton residents may apply for memberships with the Gem City Market, each completed with benefits.
The market offers $10, $50, $100 and $800 memberships – these fees are paid once for a lifetime membership.
As a member, one can run for the board, participate in board meetings, receive patronage dividends, participate in annual meetings and receive membership discounts. Regardless of membership status, the market is open to the public.
“Gem city market will be a grocery store that anyone in the community can shop at,” Baker said.
Gem City Market currently has one employee and is looking to hire a general manager. When the market opens, it will be seeking to employ about 20 people starting at $12-15 an hour.
For updates and more information, visit www.gemcitymarket.com
