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On September 10th, 2026, the City of Newark announced that a series of grocery stores has opened to help promote accessibility and affordable food in the city. Five grocery stores have opened, with one located in each of the city’s five wards. This idea was a continuation of five emergency Food Hubs set up across Newark during a government shutdown last winter, with Mayor Ras J. Baraka promising to make the program permanent to improve food access. Keep reading to learn about the new non-profit grocery stores in Newark, New Jersey.
The Details
The City of Newark has opened five community-partnered grocery stores across each of its five wards. The locations are as follows:
Central Ward: 312 New Street
North Ward: 39 Broadway Avenue
East Ward: 296 Ferry Street
South Ward: 393 Hawthorne Avenue
West Ward: 503 Central Avenue
All five grocery stores are partially funded by the city and are run by local nonprofit groups based in their respective ward, including United Community Corporation, St. James Social Service Corporation, Montena Global Care, La Casa de Don Pedro, and Clinton Hill Community Action. Each group received $250,000 in city funding, which will be renewed every year. Newark’s Office of Sustainability, Resilience and Community Transformation will also oversee the program, but is not in charge of store operation or ownership.
The grocery stores were opened to help combat food insecurity in Newark. They are a continuation of an emergency ‘Food Hub’ program run by the City in fall + winter 2025, which provided food, clothing, children’s holiday gifts, and other essentials to residents in need. Afterwards, Mayor Ras J. Baraka pledged to establish the emergency program as permanent.
Each store was placed in neighborhoods designated as ‘food deserts’, which are geographic areas where residents have limited or no access to fresh, nutritious foods. All five of Newark’s wards rank within New Jersey’s eight most severe food deserts, according to a 2022 study by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).
The grocery stores stock fresh produce, dairy, meat, and dry goods, which are all available at limited rates in these neighborhoods. They also plan to accept SNAP and WIC benefits in the future. Food and home supplies in each grocery store are priced at 25 to 30% below what is commonly found in corner stores.
To learn more about the new community-partnered grocery store program, read the City of Newark’s press release here.
See More: A List of Hoboken + Jersey City Non-Profits to Donate to Year-Round
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