Located in downtown Atlanta, the Azalea Market opened in August.
As American cities struggle with rising food prices and less access to affordable groceries, Atlanta lawmakers implemented a solution that may become the blueprint for other major cities.
Azalea Fresh Market is the city’s first government-operated grocery store. Situated in downtown Atlanta, the market provides fresh and locally made foods instead of packaged and processed items.
Atlanta’s city-run market has become a potential success story, drawing close attention from other major cities like New York. Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said that if he takes office, he plans to create city-operated grocery stores to address increasing costs in America’s largest city.
“As Mayor, Zohran will create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low, not making a profit,” his campaign website notes. “Without having to pay rent or property taxes, they will reduce overhead and pass on savings to shoppers.”
Some argue that city-run grocery stores could negatively impact taxpayers. Nicole Huyer, a senior research associate at the Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, argues that smaller grocers will struggle to compete with the government-subsidized businesses.
The Azalea Fresh Market is located at 25 Peachtree Street NW in the historic Olympia Building.
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Source: Black Enterprise
