The Little Market is back!

Shooks Run residents and downtowners have something to celebrate: the Little Market is back! I blogged about the Little Market two years ago, because it had closed its doors forever and a couple of my friends were trying to open a restaurant/bar in the vacant building. That idea never came to fruition, but I'm happy to report that a handful of local investors have stepped up and reopened the place! It's now called the Willamette Market and Deli, and it's described as an "organic, regional, sustainable, community focused market and hotdog deli." I love it.

This is great news for that neighborhood. The Little Market first opened its doors in 1902, and it had always been there, through multiple changes of ownership over the years, until 2013, when the last proprietors finally gave up in the face of WalMart's new "market" on Union just north of Palmer Park Blvd. This is a sad but familiar story of large corporations putting mom and pop shops out of business. I'm confident that the new incarnation of this place will hold its own quite well against the behemoth though, with its focus on organic, healthy and locally sourced food and products. Not just a convenience store, but a food boutique. Fantastic! The Willamette Market and Deli is already open, so I will go and check it out as soon as possible (possibly today!), but the official Grand Opening is on Saturday, October 29th. You should go!