A mother-daughter duo, Renee Thompson Truehart and Tyra Gallagher, is achieving their lifelong dream of owning a grocery store as they open Darrell's Family Supermarket, the newest Black-owned supermarket in the middle of a food desert in the Richmond, Virginia area.
When Food Rite Supermarket abandoned the retail space in Henrico Turnpike, the community had very limited access to healthy food. Renee took it as an opportunity to purchase the space and provide healthy meals to the families in the community that holds a sentimental value in their family.
“I always wanted to have a grocery store and my family always supports me,” she told ABC 8 News. “Even during the pandemic, this is a way for us to give back to the community.”
They are aiming to open this year, but are faced with challenges that prevent them from opening as soon as they would like. They have yet to find a wholesale food supplier that would accept the financial terms that work for her, as well as some local food vendors that would fit the store's needs.
Moreover, Renee, who has been in the residential real estate industry for 10 years, and Tyra, who has been in the medical field as a dialysis technician, have had no experience managing a supermarket or retail store. Despite that, opening a supermarket is just a start as Renee plans to also own an entire shopping center.
Also without a big financial backer, the family-owned store is calling for financial support through a GoFundMe campaign to help them raise funds for the necessary repairs in the store. Their goal is to raise $95,000.
Meanwhile, the supermarket, which is named after Renee's younger brother Darrell who died in October, intends to offer more unique finds than what a traditional grocery store provides at affordable prices while putting emphasis on appealing to its Black customers.