Millvale Mayor Brian Spoales choked up at the soft opening of the Millvale Market recently, demonstrating how critical the market is for elderly and young borough residents.

When the market opens in January of 2023, it will be the quintessential corner market at the intersection of Grant and North avenues. The market is co-owned by Jen Saffron, who also owns the Sprezzatura Café in the borough, and Derek Dumont.

The town has been without a fresh food market for 20-25 years, Spoales told a crowd at the unveiling of the store across the street from the former Plute’s market.

“Our seniors have no place to go,” he said.

“They can take Access to a market then have to sit for an hour before they come back home.”

While demographics are changing in Millvale with new younger residents, both the old and young don’t always have cars, Spoales noted.

“Having this food market here is going to help this community thrive,” he said. “It’s going to help our seniors.”

Also attending and speaking at the Nov. 4 market preview were state Rep. Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and others.

Fitzgerald commented on how he saw the community ravaged by floods in past years, but now “it’s thriving and vibrant and to see the transformation is special,” he said.

Many places in Allegheny County have become food deserts, Fitzgerald added. “The grocery store adds to what Millvale has. This is a great day for the community,” he said.

The grocery store’s large glassed garage-style doors open into an industrially chic and clean space that will soon be lined with shelves and coolers filled with locally grown vegetables, other produce, dairy products, dry goods, frozen meats and prepared food.

“This is a neighborhood grocery,” Saffron said, “meant to lift public health, nutrition and dignity of this community. We know the community wants this.”

Saffron and Dumont sent a survey to 4,000 residents in the area, with 200 responding, and confirmed that residents want access to fresh food and important things like a half-gallon of milk.

The market will offer tiered pricing for its fresh vegetables, some of which will be organic and others affordably priced. A shopper can find ingredients to make a meal from scratch at the market, Dumont said.

While a small market’s profit margins are thin, Dumont admitted, the new fresh produce business will offer prepared foods, catering and other services and products to add to the market’s product mix.

Earlier this year, the owners of the Millvale Market launched a gofundme and raised more than $4,800 for store start-up expenses and attracted other support as well. They had to apply to rent the corner retail space, “competing with other businesses for this prime real estate,” according to the gofundme description.

When the Millvale Market opens early next year, the store will be open seven days a week. To learn more, visit their Facebook page.

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