Opening Soon: The Market at 25th in Church Hill

The Market at 25th, a 27,000-square-foot grocery store, is located at the corner of 25th Street and Fairmount Avenue. It is the first piece of the Church Hill North Project, which includes apartments, a VCU Health center and the forthcoming culinary school The Kitchens at Reynolds, a 25,000-square-foot campus that will open in October, with classes beginning in January 2020. 

A mural at the entrance to the store features a map of Richmond neighborhoods and displays a quote from the nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School that reads, "Together we're better ... one team, one voice, one goal." Gold says his goal is "to bring everybody in to shop in the same store where they feel comfortable. ... We want to provide everything they need."

The George Mason Fresh Produce section will feature locally grown goods from Browntown Farms — the 104-year-old multigenerational family farm previously run by Linwood Brown Jr., one of the founders of the National Black Farmers Association — Shalom Farms, Cornerstone Farms and more. 

The store has hired almost 100 employees. Training is currently taking place, and, according to Gold, 65 percent of the employees reside in the 23223 ZIP code.

Gold shares that seafood was one of the biggest requests from residents, and the market will serve fresh seafood every day. He says the departments throughout the store are named after historically prominent Church Hill families, schools and organizations.

After speaking with residents, Gold says they discovered there was a big need for grab-and-go items, and the store will feature prepared foods, as well as vegan and gluten-free items. The Kennedy Kitchen will sell chicken and sides from Mama J's, the James Beard Award-nominated Jackson Ward eatery, along with food from Summa Dis and Summa Dat. Fairfield Bakery has partnered with The Treat Shop, Mahogany Sweets, Baker's Therapy by Marie, Bernie's Baked Goods, Burnette's Baked Goods, Billy Bread, Biscotti Goddess, The Bagel Ladies and Mary D. Lee Sweet Potato Pies for baked goods, pastries and cakes. 

The market will be home to a Brewer's Cafe that will strictly serve coffee and espresso beverages. Gold says owner A.J. Brewer, whose namesake cafe is located in Manchester, has been on board and involved with The Market at 25th since the beginning. "He really wanted to be a big part of this," says Gold. 

(From left) Mr. Greene, who describes himself as "The Market Ambassador"; Norm Gold, a former Feed More executive from California who took his first grocery job working at Lucky Stores supermarket as a 17-year-old in 1972; and Harry Hassell of The Capstone Contracting Company. Gold says the store will be working and partnering with Feed More.

Hope Pharmacy will be independently owned and operated by Shantelle Brown, a Richmond native. Brown previously worked at Edloe's Professional Pharmacy, a Church Hill mainstay, for years. 

The Community Room will feature a new theme every month, with the goal of presenting an inviting, communal space that also focuses on promoting children's nutrition. The space can also be rented for community meetings and events focused on financial education and literacy. PBS is also a major sponsor of the forthcoming store, and according to Gold it is the organization's only partnership with a grocer in the country. 

Pictures, signs and aisle markers throughout the store present tributes to the past. "We really wanted to make it a true community vibe," explains Gold. 

An aisle-long sign presents a chronological history of Church Hill.

The History of Church Hill sign begins with events dating back to 1600. 

The sign highlights prominent African-American business owners, local stalwarts and events spanning from the 1600s to present day. 

Woodville Dairy is named after a neighborhood in the East End. 

The frozen food section is named after Franklin Military Academy. The academy's color guard will be at the grand opening to lead everyone into the store. The arrangement occurred after Gold crossed paths with the color guard instructor. "Everything just kind of happens for a reason, ya know?" Gold says. "It's been an interesting path."

Many of the end caps of the store aisles feature 4 feet of space designated for goods from more than 60 local vendors. Local purveyors include Birdie's Pimento Cheese, Rooted Delights Cheez, Salsas Don Sebastian, Jerry's Backyard BBQ Sauce, Gunther's Gourmet, Rodger's Puddings, Uncle Dave's Kettle Corn and more. 

Lyft, among the sponsors of the store, is providing $20,000 to assist with transportation, which Gold cites as one of the biggest challenges for residents. The goal is to assist neighbors by offering discounted rides for those who may need a ride to and from the store. 

The Lyft Lounge features chairs and tables for shoppers while they are waiting for their Lyft rides. Van Go Transportation will also assist with transportation, specifically for elderly residents, to and from the market. "We want it to be as convenient as it can be, so they don't go anywhere else," says Gold.  

Store aisles are named after local churches. Aisle 1 pays homage to Mount Olivet Baptist Church, where some employee training for the store was completed. 

The churches represented on aisle markers are ordered from oldest to newest.

A wall highlights the history of the Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union, founded by 10 African-American teachers in 1936. Gold says the hope is that a branch of the credit union will open within the store in the future.