The RoseRanch Grocery Store Narrows The Food Desert Gap On Far Southside
The RoseRanch Grocery Store Narrows The Food Desert Gap On Far Southside
Six months ago the communities on 130th Street, with Altgeld-Murray Apartments on the East bordered by the Bishop Ford Expressway and on the West bordered by Indiana Avenue have a new Grocery Store in the middle of these two land marks called the RoseRanch Grocery Store.
This new store has ended a long period of being a "Grocery Desert", for those predominantly African-American communities within those borders.
There was no grocery stores located within one mile in any direction south of 130th street. Today under the ownership of two enterprising businessmen, Ismel Bue and Lucio Govea, the community now has RoseRanch. The RoseRanch, is a full-service grocery store with a fresh meat department with butchers and clerks that service the customers that are able to shop at the location seven days a week using cash, credit or Link cards.
At RoseRanch customers are able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables along with household items for cooking, cleaning and for doing laundry. Everything on the store shelves is neatly stacked, marked and priced.
When entering the store, employees greet the customers with a smile, making an extra effort to make them feel welcome and to earn their continued patronage.
The RoseRanch Grocery Store sits in the middle of the 9th Aldermantic Ward of the Honorable Alderman Anthony Beale and the 10th Aldermatic Ward of the Honorable Peter Chico.
On April 26, 2025, both Aldermen Chico and Beale seen in the middle of the photo below participated in the Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the Grand Opening of the new RoseRanch Grocery store.
The ceremony was a celebration of free food, free toys and candy supplied by the adjacent business owner and the motorcycle club. The children, residents from all the surrounding communities were joined at this celebration by the 5th District CPD, Bue and Food Brokers, MG Produce, Windy Hills, Brothers of Justice, LAMA, Stainless Machines and Back of the Yards.
Not only did the attendees eat free they had hamburgers, popcorn and sodas. The children enjoyed bouncing inside a huge rubber 'bouncing house'. When asked for a response to the grand opening of RoseRanch Grocery Store Alderman Beale's office sent out the following statement, “One of our primary goals has been to bring a new full-service, high-quality grocery store to the Golden Gate and Riverdale community, and we’ve been working toward that goal since the day Rosebud Farmstand closed in 2018. Now, we’re thrilled to have turned that goal into a reality. It will make the lives of our residents easier, and contribute to the community’s overall well-being, since a person’s health is closely tied to the quality of the food they eat.”
By Shaka Barak, President
The Marcus Garvey Institute
UNIA & ACL 1st Vice President Garvey/Nkrumah Memorial Progressive Division 429
Latest Stories
- Chicago Chosen for 2026 International Jazz Day, Uniting World Sounds in the Birthplace of Blues
- The RoseRanch Grocery Store Narrows The Food Desert Gap On Far Southside
- Clerk Monica Gordon Celebrates Opening of Roseland Freedom Defense Center
- Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Need to Know
- Peace of Mind In A Digital Age
Latest Podcast
STARR Community Services International, Inc.
