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A popular Los Angeles farmers’ market chain was given a reprieve after nearly disappearing forever.
Executives at Food Access LA, a nonprofit that operates several farmers markets, said they are partnering with restaurant brands that can remain open until at least 2025, reassuring market fans across Los Angeles County.
The proposal to save the market, which is located in eight different locations at various times of the week, comes from Sweet Green, a fast-casual salad-focused restaurant company with more than 140 locations in 13 states.
“This is very socially conscious,” Food Access Executive Director Jennifer Grissom said of the partnership. “They have a mission to give people quick access to fresh, nutritious ingredients.”
She declined to say how much money was involved in the deal, but the partnership includes Hollywood, Atwater Village, Echo Park, Crenshaw, Central Avenue, L.A. River, Compton College and Watts. It said it would include “sponsorship” in the marketplace.
In mid-October, Grissom’s nonprofit organization released a public petition for help, saying inflation has drastically reduced foot traffic at the market. The market’s business model also relied heavily on government subsidies, much of which dried up once the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
“We’ve reached a situation where it’s not very good,” Grissom said. “We didn’t know which direction to go in or what to do.”
But after weeks of searching, Sweet Green saved the day, and vendors such as Angel Iturbite at the South Central store breathed a sigh of relief.
“If the market had gone, it would have had a huge impact on the entire community,” Iturbite said. On a Thursday afternoon, after the late morning rush, his table was nearly empty of farm-fresh hormone-free eggs. His offerings include quail and duck eggs, which are not typically available at major supermarket chains.
“We intentionally place new farmers markets in inaccessible areas,” Grissom said.
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