Nearly two years since opening, TROSA Grocery remains committed to providing a convenient place for residents to purchase healthy food options.
Although still in the beginning stages, TROSA Grocery maintains its commitment to bring fresh food options to a lower-income area in East Durham. TROSA Grocery serves as an alternative to traveling almost two miles to a chain grocery store and more than seven miles for health food options. Although the store has provided tangible benefits to the area, some customers noted that it has room to expand in some of its food options.
“It’s a difficult business to be in, but it’s definitely making an impact on the neighborhood—and certainly a positive one,” said Jeff Stern, director of special projects at TROSA. “It’s definitely been something that has been valued in the community.”
Customer Saleem Helms, a resident of East Durham, noted how helpful it is that TROSA Grocery is within walking distance for purchasing groceries.
“I do the majority of my grocery shopping at Food Lion, but I come here when I don’t have a ride to Food Lion,” he said. “It’s a good variety—there’s not as much as the other grocery stores, but it’s enough for what I need it for.”
Part of a project to revitalize the area, the grocery store was a joint effort among nonprofit Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers Inc. and several Durham residents—including former city councilmen Dan Hill, TROSA President and CEO Kevin McDonald and business owner Joseph Bushfan.
Stern added that East Durham had previously lacked a grocery store because it is a poorer community, making it an unappealing location for larger grocers to set up shop. As a result, there were few options for East Durham residents who wanted to purchase healthy food.
“[Grocers] look for a certain concentration of wealth because they assume that will lead to sales and also look for available space that will be large enough,” Stern said. “In a neighborhood where there is not a lot of things, there are fewer options available, but [we] work to have brand name and generic options.”
Years ago, the limited store options in the area led to its reputation as a “food desert.”
Dr. Robert Califf, vice chancellor for clinical research and director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute, noted that people living in food deserts often have unhealthy diets, which can lead to medical problems.
“In an environment where it is very difficult to get healthy food, you’re going to be at higher risk for purchasing unhealthy products,” Califf said. “High blood pressure and obesity are really fueled by that kind of a diet.”
Despite the noted improvements to the surrounding area with the addition of the store, customer Samuel Jenkins said that the variety of options available at the grocery store has declined since it opened in spring 2010. He added that the store’s proximity does not matter because it does not provide what customers are looking for.
“It’s lacking in a lot of areas. If it had the stuff [I want,] then it would be a convenience,” said Jenkins, owner of Samuel and Sons Barber Shop in Durham. “It’s an inconvenience if I come in here, and I go around all of the shelves and go ‘Damn, they ain’t got no f—ing bacon,’ then what’s the convenience in it?”
Stern noted that space constraints limit flexibility. Many options that the store could carry are unavailable because there is not enough customer demand for certain items. He added that those running the store are still in the learning process.
Despite any potential issues with the store, Bushfan added that TROSA Grocery is an important step in the revitalization of the neighborhood.
“We are moving forward—we are not going backwards; we are not going sideways; we are going straight ahead,” he said. “We plan on staying the course, and we are moving full speed ahead.”
In addition to providing healthy options for the community, the grocery store also fulfills the mission of TROSA—a two-year residential substance abuse program. The store provides vocational opportunities to recovering addicts while giving back to Durham by making the neighborhood a safer place. Prior to opening, the store—located on the corner of Angier Avenue and Driver Street—was often the site of illicit activities, Stern said. Now, the store attracts enough public attention to deter criminal activity—at least during the day.
“When businesses open in areas like that, it requires additional police attention,” Stern said. “We’ve certainly seen a change in what happens out on that corner.”
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