ORLANDO, Fla. —
The Parramore Market, Orlando’s first micro grocery store, has opened this week to provide free groceries to Central Florida families in a neighborhood long affected by food insecurity.
Inside the Parramore Market, the setup mirrors a traditional grocery store.
“We are looking at a place that has fruits, veggies, meat, dairy, eggs, you know? You have bread,” said Kenneth Hughes, executive director of the Parramore Main Street District.
Unlike typical grocery stores, the groceries at Parramore Market are free.
The Desire Foundation transformed its traditional food pantry into a micro grocery store, giving families the freedom to choose what they need.
“This is what private-public partnership looks like; this is what community looks like,” Hughes said.
The market is the next step in the foundation’s efforts to address food insecurity, building on Project 814, which distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of food.
The idea behind the Parramore Market is to ensure people experiencing food insecurity can shop for themselves and their families with dignity.
“When we talk about community and then we talk about family empowerment. If the people in a neighborhood actually don’t have access to fresh fruit, fresh food, how do they sustain community? How does your family grow if they’re starving at night?” Hughes said.
For the Parramore neighborhood, which has long been considered a food desert, this access is significant.
“For the people of Parramore, this is a goldmine,” Hughes said.
The market is free to all Central Florida residents.
Shoppers need to register for a free market card, which allows two visits per month.
The market is also seeking donations and volunteers to support its operations.
You can find more information at thedesirefoundationinc.org.