Milwaukee food desert grocery store asks for help to stay open

MILWAUKEE - A grocery store serving Milwaukee’s northwest side is asking for community support as the owner warns the business could close, deepening food access challenges in an area already considered a food desert.

What we know:

Since opening in 2022, Sherman Park Grocery Store has focused on bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to the neighborhood near Sherman and Fond du Lac, owner Maurice "Moe" Wince said.

"To bring fresh fruits and vegetables to an area in which has an absence to access," Wince said.

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Now, Wince says the store is facing mounting financial pressures.

Wince cited theft, rising food costs, FoodShare benefit issues and flood damage as factors making it difficult to keep the doors open. He said a closure would have ripple effects for residents who rely on the store.

"Three and a half years later, faced with financial challenges," he said. "If we, unfortunately, have to close our doors, the need goes nowhere."

Dig deeper:

The store is located in one of the city’s 13 food deserts. The closest full-service grocery option is a Pick ’n Save near 56th and Capitol – about a five-minute drive, a 15-minute bus ride or a 30-minute walk. The nearest Aldi, near 68th and Capitol, is roughly a nine-minute drive and about an hour walk.

Dr. Kirk Harris, a professor at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning, said food deserts are often rooted in long-standing structural issues.

"Food deserts are typically in areas that have historically been red lined," Harris said.

Harris said communities facing food insecurity often experience disinvestment, making them less attractive to retail food companies.

"When markets such as retail food industries are looking at those communities, those are not the first that they make," Harris said.

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He added that communities of color and low-income neighborhoods are frequently surrounded by cheaper, less healthy food options. 

"One solution is for the government to kind of subsidize and foundations to subsidize and provide support for example this particular grocer that's interested in staying, figuring out where the gaps are," Harris said.

Harris said neighbors could also help by rallying support for state and even federal leaders, and ultimately, these are ethical and economic development issues.

With so much uncertainty, Wince said he remains committed to the neighborhood.

"We're here, and we're willing to do what it takes to keep our doors open and stay in the community," he said.

What they're saying:

"We can't sustain ourselves. If things do not change, or we don't start collaborating and getting somebody or an organization or nonprofit or philanthropy group stepping up and saying ‘Mo, this is what it looks like for us, and we want to maintain your store, we want to make sure you sustain yourselves, not just tomorrow, but long term,’" said Wince. 

The store says their goal is to help provide healthier food options to the area. 

In an effort to keep their doors open, Sherman Park Grocery is reaching out for help from the community. Wince said support could include financial help, volunteering or community connections.

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