More Than a Grocery Store: How A Better Market Is Transforming Food Access

What if every community had a better market?

I recently had a conversation with Shana Manradge, CEO of A Better Market, and it left me thinking about something we don’t talk about enough: food access isn’t just about having a store nearby. It’s about whether families can actually afford what’s inside.

Shana didn’t plan to open a grocery store. Her journey started with a moment that honestly feels all too familiar. During COVID, she ran into a corner store to grab cereal and saw a box priced at $9.54. Instead of brushing it off, she stopped and asked a bigger question: How is this normal for families?

That question turned into action.

In her hometown of Paterson, she saw what many families already knew. Stores were there, but access wasn’t. Shelves were filled with processed foods, while fresh produce was limited, expensive, or poor quality. For families already balancing rent, childcare, and everyday expenses, healthy food wasn’t just a choice. It was often out of reach.

So, she created something different.

A Better Market isn’t your typical grocery store. About 85% of what you’ll find there is fresh produce. It’s intentional. It’s focused. And it’s built around what families actually need.

But what really makes it stand out is how it addresses the gaps that systems often miss.

For SNAP recipients, the store participates in Good Food Bucks, offering 50% off produce. That alone is huge. But Shana didn’t stop there. She talked about what she calls the “SNAP Gap”: families who work hard, earn just above the eligibility threshold, and still struggle to afford healthy food.

Those families are often left out of the conversation.

So, she built something for them, too: $10 produce bags filled with $20–25 worth of fresh food. Families plan around them. Budget around them. Rely on them. That’s not just a program. It’s a lifeline.

And then there are the everyday moments that show what’s really changing.

A little girl runs into the store, excitedly asking for fruit like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Because for her, it is.

A parent learns how to make fresh juice at home after attending a class and realizes healthy options were within reach all along.

These moments might seem small, but they point to something bigger: when access improves, habits change. Health changes. Communities change.

What’s happening at A Better Market is about more than food. It’s about dignity. It’s about making sure families don’t have to stand in the aisle doing mental math and deciding what they can afford to put back.

It’s also a reminder that solutions like this shouldn’t be rare.

We should be asking: Why doesn’t every community have something like this? Why are families still navigating systems that make healthy food harder to access?

Shana’s vision is clear. This model should be replicated. Healthy corner stores should actually be healthy. Fresh food should be accessible without long drives or impossible price tags. And families should never have to choose between affordability and nutrition. That’s not unrealistic. It’s necessary.