Shana Manradge says an unaffordable box of cereal was the inspiration for her new food store, A Better Market. Manradge said she “went out to get a box of cereal and it was $9.54. I spent about $20 driving around trying to find a decent box of cereal.”
The new store, on Rosa Parks Boulevard in Paterson, officially opened on Aug. 24.
Born and raised in Paterson, Manradge originally ran the market out of her garage, until city health inspectors forced her to shut it down last July. Manradge says the store, which focuses on fresh, healthy produce, is critical in a city identified by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority as one of 50 food deserts in the state.
Manradge says 95% of the food and other items she sells, including toilet paper, pancake mix and soap, are from Black-owned businesses, but she says it’s the prices that are a game changer. All the produce comes from four different farms, three of which are Black-owned, including Green Acre Community Garden located right across the street.
