America's First Non-Profit Supermarket Provides a Model for Alleviating Food Deserts

Last weekend a new supermarket opened in Chester, Pennsylvania. But this isn't just another Safeway, Chester's groundbreaking non-profit supermarket could provide a model for areas across the country struggling to attract full-service grocers.

1 minute read

October 3, 2013, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Cassie Owens reports on Fare & Square, the nation’s first non-profit supermarket, which opened last weekend in Chester, "a USDA-designated food desert, [that] had gone without a supermarket in town for 12 years."

"The new market comes courtesy of Philabundance, the Philly metro area’s largest food bank. While other non-profit grocery stores have popped up in cities in like Portland and St. Joseph, Mo., Fare & Square distinguishes itself as a 16,000 square-foot, full-scale market. The store is not a co-op, and there are no salary requirements for purchase or membership."

"Food justice advocates are watching the Fare & Square model to see if it could become a solution to food deserts like Chester," notes Owens.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Parklet with wooden benches and flower boxes on street in Ireland.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

1 hour ago - The New York Times

Historic stone structure surrounding natural spring in India with plaques.

Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful