Gem City Market celebrates major milestone

DAYTON — Gem City Market reached a major milestone in their fight against food deserts. The community-owned grocery store turned six months old on Friday.

News Center 7 was at the Gem City Market, a cooperative, on Friday where people were getting food for their holiday meals.

Leah Bahan-Harris, general manager of Gem City Market, told News Center y’s Mike Campbell that she spent the first six months figuring out the right product mix, working on supply chain issues, looking at long-term sustainability and making sure people know the store is open and available to them.

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“Just understanding this should be your first stop for your market for groceries, that’s what we’re trying to drive home to the community,” Bahan-Harris said.

Willa Shells, of Dayton, said she loves the market and believes it is providing a service the community needs.

“I love the veggies. Their vegetable department is tremendous,” Shells said.

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Karen Howell, of Dayton, said she has been pleased with how helpful the staff has been.

Store managers said they hope to make sure customers are in the store more often, turning their typical steady trickle into a steady stream of customers. Store leaders said they believe that if they can do that by showing consistency of quality.

Banah-Harris said store leaders think about how they can see groceries “in a way that invites people to experience the clinic and the community room and the kitchen.”

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