BLACK OWNED GROCERY STORE COMES TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

CNW Staff Report

It’s been a long time coming . . . and old news that grocery chains are abandoning communities of color and closing their doors, but a new Black-owned grocery store has opened in the inner city that is being welcomed with open arms by area residents.

The much needed Bamenda Fresh, is a grocery store that recently opened its doors at 9557 S. Jeffery in Chicago, located in the seventh ward in South Deering Manor on the border of South Shore and Jeffrey Manor. With South Deering being the largest of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Bamenda Fresh is poised to satisfy a real need in the community. The expected success is because the store not only brings products but value as well. Its shelves are filled with a full line of grocery items, fresh fruits, and vegetables making customers ecstatic. Its hours of operation are complementary to the working communities, so doors open at 8 AM and close at 8 PM, Monday through Saturday, and 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday.

As the founder and president, Felix Leshey of pursued his interest in providing a necessity to communities lacking food /grocery stores he sought to tailor its offerings to align with the tastes and habits of the surrounding community. Mr. Leshey assembled a team that invested considerable time in meeting and connecting with the residents. He and his team did so by listening and observing what the community expressed and then stocked their shelves with products that represented residents’ needs and desires.

Mr. Leshey, a native of the west African country of Cameroons, plans to hire up to ten associates from the community. One of the first hires was Emmanuel Tandong, Partner and Manager, who is a seventh ward resident.

The store’s offerings include a wide array of high-quality meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables, a deli, fresh produce, a frozen food department, cleaning products, an assortment of toiletries, sweets, snacks, teas, juices, carbonated beverages including its signature Bamenda Coffee. Also on the shelves are items for baby needs, from food to vitamins and medicines.

Bamenda Fresh boasts a kiosk where coffee and pastries can be ordered from a walkup counter.

To entice customers, specials will prominently broadcast discounts and will be advertised on its website, (www.Bamendafresh.com). These specials will be posted throughout the store, and on social media (facebook.com/people/BamendaFresh) and will W be spread by grateful customers through word of mouth.

Bamenda Fresh is destined to attract customers and boost sales because Leshey s specialty is community service. His career trajectory has been marked by success, including 20 years as a top-tier management executive with the world’s largest retailer, Walmart.

Since Bamenda Fresh is a Minority Business Enterprise, Leshey is passionate about supporting minority businesses. Prominently on the shelves are products manufac- tured by Black-owned businesses including a selection of bottled teas from Pennie’s Tea. He is seeking more MBE-owned products.

Bamenda Fresh will also serve as a hub for community-enriching events. Recently, it partnered with My Home Nurses LLC to provide health screenings at the store.

The store plans to add a café, and a fresh bakery and intends to serve prepared meals this year to expand its offerings. Future plans, also include a Community Room where customers can meet, sit and relax.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held to celebrate its official opening. It was attended by Alderman Gregory Mitchell of the seventh ward. Mitchell spoke glowingly of the store, Felix, his staff, team and vision. Also prominently in attendance was South Deering Manor Community Association president Echelle Mohn. Felix presented her with a $1,000 donation to the South Deering Manor Community Association. Bamenda Fresh will also present grants to other local organizations in the future.