FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) - The building under construction on Oxford Street won't turn out to be your average neighborhood grocery store.
Utopian Community Grocery is set to open this March.



Co-founders, Condra Ridley and Ty Simmons, hope to provide to a new option for fresh food in the southeast Fort Wayne community.
Fresh food means organic vegetables, locally-grown fruit, and even a juice and smoothie bar.
Most importantly, the food is intended to be affordable for the local southeast community, deemed to be a "food desert."
Locations are deemed as such when quality, healthy food items are scarce or unaffordable for the majority of the consumer population.
Ridley and Simmons plan to combat that reality, recognizing the dire need for better, more affordable options to sustain the longevity of their neighbors.
Ridley, a longtime southeast Fort Wayne resident says, "this is a gift from the community to the community."
Utopian Community Grocery will host a membership drive on Feb. 15 from 2-4 p.m., offering future members a $5 membership fee to gain an additional 10% off grocery items.
The grocery store will hopefully bring more sustainability to the area--economically, socially, and for residents' livelihood.
Simmons says, "There have been so many developments in the other parts of Fort Wayne, and the south side needs attention."
If you'd like more information on Utopian Community Grocery, click here.