A beloved chain of Los Angeles farmers markets has been given a reprieve after nearly going away for good.
Executives at Food Access LA, a nonprofit that operates several farmers markets, said they’re partnering with a restaurant brand that will keep them solvent through at least 2025, a relief to market fans throughout LA County.
The offer to save the markets, located at eight different locations at various times of the week, is coming from
Sweetgreen, the fast casual eatery company that specializes in salads and boasts more than 140 locations across 13 states.
“It’s very socially conscious,” said Food Access’s executive director, Jennifer Grissom of the partnership. “They have a mission to make sure that people have fresh, nutritious ingredients in a fast way.”
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She did not reveal how much money was involved in the contract but said the partnership will include “sponsorship” at each of the market locations: Hollywood, Atwater Village, Echo Park, Crenshaw, Central Avenue, the LA River, Compton College and Watts.
In mid-October, Grissom’s non-profit issued a public plea for help, saying that foot traffic at the markets had fallen substantially because of inflation. Also, the markets’ business model had relied heavily on government grants, and many of those had dried up when the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
“We got to a place where it was not looking great,” said Grissom. “We weren’t sure which direction to take and what to do.”
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But after weeks of searching, Sweetgreen stepped in to save the day, giving vendors like Angel Iturbite at the South Central location a sigh of relief.
“If the market had gone away, it would’ve left a significant impact on the whole community,” Iturbite said. On a Thursday afternoon, his table of farm-fresh, hormone-free chicken eggs was nearly empty after a late morning rush. His offerings include quail and duck eggs, which are typically not available at the larger supermarket chains.
“We do intentionally place our new farmers markets in areas that do not have access,” said Grissom.
