New Englewood Grocery Store Aims To Be 'A Beacon Of Light' For Community

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new business in Englewood is re-imagining how a simple grocery store can unite a neighborhood, foster health and wellness and provide much needed resources.

CBS 2's Steven Graves takes us inside for a sneak peek before its grand opening next week.

"It's go time, yeah!"

The products are being placed. Employees getting educated.

"Tomorrow, we're actually going to be doing a staff run through."

Graced with a new community-run grocery store..

"It's a really profoundly humbling experience."

"It looks very legit, right?"

To take a bite out of ew healthy choices and opportunity.

"We can be a beacon of light here."

Imani Muhammad lives in Englewood and will sell her bean pies at the Go Green Community Fresh Market when it opens next week.

"I'm almost speechless to be honest with you," Muhammad said.

She also helped design the grocer which was a former corner store on 63rd and Racine.

"We'll be that prime example to show that this does work. This is what people want," she said.

"Really, this Fresh Market is a 25 year vision."

Alia Bilal is with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network or IMAN. One of several organizations that is part of the Go Green on Racine Initiative. It's an effort to build up the 63rd Street corridor.

And when it came down to thinking about what to put in this space, they were intentional. They didn't want to put a food pantry here, for example, but specifically a grocery store. Where people here can spend their own money in their community.

"At the end of the day, people spend money. And there are hundreds of thousands of dollars every day that are leaving Englewood, leaving these surrounding neighborhoods," Bilal said.

And this is meant for people from other areas, too. A kitchen for are chefs. The second floor has conference rooms. An outdoor green space for a garden is also in the works.

A slice of life, that's new for now, but a concept others hope will become engrained in the community.

In:
• Englewood