New grocery store coming to Lexington’s north side with grab and go, meal options

FoodChain, a Lexington organization that provides access to fresh locally sourced food, is expanding.

The non-profit is adding a new neighborhood green grocery store into its space inside the Bread Box building in a former bread factory at one end of Jefferson Street at 501 W. Sixth St. that also houses West Sixth Brewing and Smithtown Seafood.

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FoodChain already operates an indoor aquaponics farm and a commercial kitchen that they use to feed kids during the summer, teach cooking skills and provide free meals for the community.

Demo work on the 2,000-square-foot grocery space is expected to begin soon. The updated space will have a new walk-in cooler and freezer, which are expected to be in place by April 2025, that will increase the existing kitchen’s holding capacity.

The grand opening for the grocery is slated for 2026.

The budget for the new project is estimated at up to $1.5 million; FoodChain has raised about a third of that already and plans to launch a capital campaign this fall and pursue other government and private grants.

Designed to help its neighbors

The new store will help provide direct access to food for those in the area, many of whom don’t have ready transportation either on a bus or their own cars. Local residents will be able to use affordability programs such as KY Double Dollars, SNAP and WIC, along with Farmers Market vouchers to increase purchasing power, said Kristin Hughes, co-executive director of FoodChain.

While the store is designed to help its immediate neighbors, anyone will be able to shop there.

Currently, shopping within walking distance of nearby Coolavin Apartments is limited, said Leandra Forman, co-executive director of FoodChain.

The new store will be more than just a place to buy fresh vegetables and fruit sourced from local Kentucky farmers.

Forman said they hope to get planning permission from the city to add a porch area with outside seating and lights that will connect the store to the Legacy Trail, a walking and bike path that winds from Fifth Street, up beside Coolavin Park and through the North Side out to the Kentucky Horse Park.

“We want to make it an intentional space,” Forman said. “We are really hoping to help activate along the trail, with a pathway for families and children. And possibly bring more food production to this corridor, possibly tying into Seedleaf,” a community gardening and composting organization nearby.

What FoodChain store in Lexington will offer

The store’s main focus will be offering fresh produce sourced from Kentucky growers, mostly on pallets with bulk bins to keep prices down.

Forman said they hope to offer specialty produce such as berries and mushrooms as well as grab-and-go items, ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat options. The new store will have some paper and household goods and pantry staples on hand as well, and possibly something fun, such as smoothie machines.

“We want to have healthy snacks for kids to pick up on the way to and from the bus stop,” she said.

The store is also aiming to be a zero-waste grocery, so as fresh items near the end of their shelf life, they will move to the processing kitchen next door to be turned into tasty meals.

FoodChain has a grant to develop more individual-style and family-style frozen meals using local produce, such as the veggie-full marinara with shredded squash and white-bean Alfredo they already make.

The new store also will increase the number of living-wage job options in North Lexington.

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