New grocery stores planned for Tarentum, New Kensington and Natrona
Food deserts are an issue for several communities in our region, but now, in parts of Tarentum, New Kensington, and Natrona, three new community markets are planned, which will make fresh food for people in these areas just a short walk away.
On Tuesday morning, crews were hard at work gutting an old convenience store along East 6th Avenue in Tarentum and converting it into the soon-to-be Horizon Market.
Local developers Cameron Yockey and Brianna Thorpe are the power couple putting this place together. They say that they saw a need in this part of Tarentum, as well as in New Kensington and Natrona, to have a local market where people can buy more than just chips and soft drinks.
"So, we want to have ground meat, we want to have chicken breast, we want to try to get into produce," Yockey said. "All that kind of stuff. So, things that they would currently have to get on a bus line to go to, things along those lines. We are in a predominantly walking community."
Yockey and Thorpe say they aren't just looking for shoppers for these new markets, they are also looking for local vendors to supply the store with fresh food and products. They also say that they are hoping to create about 12 new jobs at each store once they are open.
One community member that KDKA-TV spoke with, Demani, says that he will definitely be coming here for groceries in the future because he not only knows and likes the owners, but the shop is within walking distance from his home.
"I know a lot of people who actually come here all the time," Demani said. "The old store was very popular before, so now that this is happening, they are going to build it up even more. And probably more people are going to come, honestly. Out here, once a new store opens, a lot of people like to flood it."
The Horizon Market in Tarentum will hopefully be completed by the end of May, and once completed, it will be open seven days a week.
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