Community grocery stores pick up the slack for shoppers during COVID-19 crisisis
With big-box stores like Target and Walmart seeing an influx of customers due to concerns surrounding the quickly spreading coronavirus, some essentials like chicken, rice, beans, pasta and more (including the popular toilet paper) are hard to come by. At many big stores, shelves are bare and much-needed supplies are few and far between. For those looking to stock up their kitchen pantries, local grocery stores and marketplaces, especially ones serving immigrant communities, may be the place to go to avoid the crowds and get what you need.
On Chicago’s South Side, in the South Chicago neighborhood, two local grocery stores are good places to check out:
La Fruteria Inc., 8909 S Commercial Ave., is a small market that sells primarily African, Caribbean and Mexican foods, beverages and household items. Shelves are stocked and nothing looks picked over. Kitchen staples like rice, fruits, and veggies, meats, and bread are in stock as well.
1st Choice Market, 3019 E. 91st St. a grocery store sells primarily Mexican goods, including everyday essentials like fruits, vegetables, bread, meats, cereal, beverages, rice and more. Some items like rice and cucumbers seem low but everything seems mostly in stock.