BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A full-service grocery store has come to the aid of South Side Bethlehem’s “food desert.”
Store leadership and city officials cut the ceremonial ribbon Friday morning, officially opening Ideal Food Basket at 410 Montclair Ave.
As that happened, people already were inside shopping.
- Ideal Food Basket, a full-service grocery store, is now open at 410 Montclair Ave. in South Bethlehem
- Store owners hope to assist residents in light of a "food desert" classification from USDA
- The store sits on the old Ahart's Market property
When folks head for their grocery runs at Ideal, they’ll find a kitchen, bakery, deli, fresh produce, organic offerings, cleaning supplies and more.
The “Beer Cave” on the far right wall will offer adult beverages within a month, store leadership said.
Unlike at some grocery chains, shoppers also will find tropical offerings such as duqqa, matata and malanga, with more options on the way as the store establishes itself in the neighborhood, one owner stated.
Drive an electric vehicle? There's EV charging access in the store parking lot.
Acquiring Ahart's
Some may recognize the property as the old Ahart’s Market that closed its doors in April 2021.
Store co-owner Kevin Luna said the coronavirus pandemic took its toll on the grocery industry.
And despite some expected challenges in development of a new store, Luna said he and his business partners took a chance on acquiring Ahart’s.
“We saw the potential in the South [Side]; we have another store here nearby that does really well. We knew the area, so we invested knowing that it was going to be great — but it was challenging."Kevin Luna, store co-owner
“We saw the potential in the South [Side]; we have another store here nearby that does really well,” Luna said. “We knew the area, so we invested knowing that it was going to be great — but it was challenging.
“The building had a lot of upgrades to do, and we were able to take care of that.”
The store will cater to various nearby demographics of city residents, including Asian, Arab, Hispanic and college student communities among others, he said.
Luna said 25 people employed are at Ideal Food Basket, with hopes to add more at some point.
Mayor J. William Reynolds said the store’s placement is unique.
“Today’s really just a great day, as we open and we cut the ribbon on Ideal Food Basket and help to provide our residents food options in the middle of a neighborhood — which you don’t often see in cities.”Mayor J. William Reynolds
“Today’s really just a great day, as we open and we cut the ribbon on Ideal Food Basket and help to provide our residents food options in the middle of a neighborhood — which you don’t often see in cities,” Reynolds said.
Laura Collins, the city’s director of community and economic development, said bringing a store such as this to town was a collaborative effort, even involving the work of past city employees.
She also gave a shout out to other community nonprofits focused on food security.
“So between this and the [Bethlehem] Food Co-Op on the North Side, I think we’re starting to provide those options for people that are in walking distance and helps people who don’t have transportation.”Laura Collins, city director of community and economic development
“So between this and the [Bethlehem] Food Co-Op on the North Side, I think we’re starting to provide those options for people that are in walking distance and helps people who don’t have transportation,” Collins said.
“This is on a stretch that you could access with public transportation.
“It’s not unique to Bethlehem that it’s challenging to bring grocery stores into an urban core. It just takes a lot of work and partnership.”
The South Side's 'food desert'
A large part of Bethlehem south of the Lehigh River is considered "low income and low access," according to the U.S. Agriculture's Food Access Research Atlas.
The classification involves areas of low-income as determined by census data, "where a significant number or share of residents is more than 1 mile [urban] or 10 miles [rural] from the nearest supermarket."
More specifically, it involves areas with at least 500 people, or 33% of the population.
