“We Are Keeping the Keys”


 “We Are Keeping the Keys”

As Living Fresh Market Approaches Its Fifth Anniversary, Melody Winston's Fight to Preserve a Community Lifeline Has Become One of the Most Important Retail Stories in America

FOREST PARK, IL — Five years ago, the future of the largest Black-owned full-scale supermarket in America was anything but certain. The previous operator of the 71,000-square-foot supermarket inside Forest Park Plaza walked away, leaving behind more than empty shelves and uncertainty.

He left behind the keys.

Many stores facing similar circumstances never recover. Communities lose food access, jobs, and an important neighborhood institution.

But Living Word Christian Center, through its subsidiary Living Fresh Market, made a different decision. Led by founder and senior pastor Dr. Bill Winston, the ministry chose to preserve a vital community asset rather than allow another neighborhood supermarket to disappear.

What followed became one of the most compelling supermarket success stories in America.

On October 31, 2026, Living Fresh Market will celebrate its fifth anniversary, marking a remarkable achievement in an industry defined by consolidation, rising costs, and store closures. Today, under the leadership of Melody Winston, the supermarket has grown into the nation's largest Black-owned full-scale supermarket and a model for community-centered retail.

Before entering grocery retail, Winston built her career in commercial real estate, construction, and economic development. Running a supermarket was never part of the plan.

Then everything changed.

"The owner of the supermarket inside our plaza walked away and left the keys behind," Winston wrote while reflecting on her journey. "I picked them up, literally, and stepped into a world I had never imagined leading."

That moment thrust her into one of the most challenging sectors in American business. Independent grocers operate on razor-thin margins while competing against national chains with enormous buying power and resources. Yet Winston embraced the challenge.

Operating an independent supermarket is difficult.

Operating one just two parking lots away from Walmart is even more difficult.

Yet Winston has remained steadfast in her belief that independent supermarkets provide something larger than food.

They provide local ownership. They create jobs. They invest in neighborhoods. They become part of the community they serve.

For Forest Park's approximately 14,000 residents, Living Fresh Market serves as the community's only supermarket and a critical source of fresh food access.

Under Winston's leadership, Living Fresh Market has become more than a retailer.

The market has evolved into a platform for economic opportunity, helping local entrepreneurs and vendors of color gain access to retail shelf space and new customers.

"We believe a supermarket can do more than sell food," Winston often says. "It can create opportunity."

The store hosts wellness initiatives, community programs, food giveaways, and its popular monthly 60-Second Shopping Spree, where selected shoppers receive sixty seconds to fill their carts at no cost.

"We're not just trying to build a successful supermarket," Winston said. "We're trying to build stronger families and stronger communities."

Winston has increasingly become a leading voice for independent supermarkets struggling across the country.

She has publicly warned that rising costs, inflation, and competitive pressures continue to threaten community grocery stores, particularly independent operators. Her message is simple: when independent supermarkets close, communities lose far more than a place to shop.

They lose jobs. They lose investment. They lose food access. They lose opportunity.

"Failure is not an option," Winston has said while advocating for stronger support of independent grocery operators.

A year ago, when Winston publicly discussed the challenges facing Living Fresh Market, customers responded with overwhelming support.

Thousands rallied behind the store from Forest Park, Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and beyond.

For longtime customer Maria Gonzalez, the reason is simple:

"This store cares about us,” she said. “When I shop here, I know I'm supporting people who support the community. They know our families. You can't replace that."

The response reinforced what many residents already knew: Living Fresh Market is more than a grocery store. It is a community institution.

The success of Living Fresh Market has attracted attention from communities looking for solutions to food access and economic development challenges.

Recently, Winston welcomed residents from Maywood to learn more about the Living Fresh model and the role community-centered supermarkets can play in neighborhood revitalization. The company is also exploring opportunities to bring its approach to additional communities seeking fresh food access and local investment.

But Winston remains focused on strengthening the Forest Park location that started it all.

As October 31 approaches, the fifth anniversary celebration represents more than a business milestone.

It is proof that an independent supermarket can survive.

That local ownership still matters.

That communities will support institutions that support them.

And that purpose can prevail over pressure.

Five years after uncertainty threatened the store's future, Living Fresh Market stands as a symbol of resilience, opportunity, and community commitment.

For Melody Winston, the mission remains unchanged from the day she picked up the keys: protecting food access, creating economic opportunity, and ensuring communities never lose a place they can call their own.

The keys remain exactly where they belong.

About Living Fresh Market
Living Fresh Market is a leader in providing shoppers with fresh, high-quality produce, meat and other international groceries. With a focus on health, wellness, and community engagement, the store is dedicated to improving its customers' lives through education and empowerment, including support for emerging vendors and advocacy for families impacted by food inflation and reductions in SNAP benefits. The 71,000-square feet supermarket also hosts monthly free shopping sprees, giving customers 60 seconds to fill their baskets.

For information about Living Fresh Market, visit the company’s website at https://livingfreshmarket.com.


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