From One City to Many: Scaling Best Practices for Healthy Corner Stores

Principal Investigator: William Dietz, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator: Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD, MPA
Collaborators: Daniel Chen, DrPH; Caitlin Grady, PhD

Description:

In communities across the country, individuals struggle to access healthy and affordable foods. One challenge is accessing fresh fruits and vegetables in communities that rely on small corner stores for food shopping due to a lack of traditional full-service grocery stores. While corner stores may be the only food store available in some communities, they often offer limited healthy foods.

This GFI-led research project, funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, will collaborate with DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) and Partnership for a Healthier America to evaluate DCCK’s Healthy Corners program, a leading national model to advance healthier food choices in urban corner stores.

Healthy Corners is a pioneering venture that is expanding healthy food access in D.C. neighborhoods. DCCK delivers produce to corner stores in DC’s low-income communities, offering fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables to store owners at wholesale prices and in smaller quantities than a conventional distributor. Partner stores then sell the produce at below-market prices, making it an affordable and accessible option for consumers. This venture is made possible through a mix of earned revenue, philanthropic support, and a significant partnership with D.C.’s Health Department.

Healthy Corners has demonstrated that there is a significant demand in low-income communities for fresh, affordable food deliveries to corner stores. Beyond the produce, DCCK also provides stores with marketing support, technical assistance, and nutrition training. DCCK facilitates a Store Owner Community of Practice for stores to learn and share best practices as they work with the program to expand their capacity for healthier products and meet the needs of their community. In addition, DC Central Kitchen hosts weekly events for customers at or near corner stores that include cooking demonstrations and community partners.

The institute’s research will examine whether certain components of the Healthy Corners model could be replicated in other jurisdictions. The funded work will focus on Indianapolis and the Mississippi Delta. The findings will inform the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Good Food Cities initiative and provide new insights and identify new strategies to improve food access and ultimately drive improved health outcomes in underserved communities across the United States.