Fort Worth Restauranteur Hopes To Address 'Food Desert' Problem

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – A good portion of East Fort Worth, in and around the 76103 zip code, is considered to be an urban food desert, according to a local nonprofit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food deserts as "parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers' markets, and healthy food providers."

Robert Sonnen is hoping to address the problem with a concept business that is new to the area.

Sonnen, is owner of the Garden Market and Bistro, a small eatery and fresh produce market tucked off of the 1200 block of Woodhaven Blvd.

There, people find locally grown produce and a menu of foods from the bistro considered to be healthier alternatives to all the fast food around town.

"Healthy food is so critical to our health," said Sonnen.

He says his bistro and market is as much a business as it is a service to the community.

By offering produce and whole some foods in the market he is hoping to alleviate some of the problems the neighborhood has when it comes to access to healthy food.

"The community itself will be building this, and the community needs this and the community is excited," he said.  "I'm just the orchestrator."

Sonnen has already worked out a deal with a nearby school which is offering gardening space to grow the fruits and vegetables used in the storefront.

Sonnen said his vision is for the business is to one day turn it into a large scale farmers market.

"The community is going to plug into us, and that's why this is going to be successful."