North side a food desert no more with Colonial Market setting up shop

Colonial Market owner Daniel Hernandez looked at his watch after he was asked when shelves, cash registers, and produce will begin moving into his newest store.

“I think, sometime this week,” Hernandez said, punctuating his joy with a hearty laugh as he and city leaders stood inside what had been an Aldi store for 15 years.

Aldi moved out last year when its lease expired.

That left a huge hole, many calling it a ‘food desert’, near the intersection of Penn and Lowry, smack-dab on the border of Wards 4 and 5 on the city’s north side.

“There will be a lot of work that’s going to bring jobs and opportunities,” he said, waving toward various points inside the building that will house meats, produce, a restaurant, and an ice cream stand.

The market at Penn and Lowry is expected to open in December, joining another new Colonial Market in south Minneapolis that’s opening in September.

That will give Hernandez’ company four stores in Minneapolis, three of them under the Colonial Market brand, with plans for at least three more in the area.

It will also give residents a place to go for groceries.

“It’s going to provide an important asset right here on the north side,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “You need a grocery store in any community, and far too often, it’s really hard to get fresh fruits and vegetables, especially on the north side.”

Frey said having that asset adds pride to the neighborhood.

“A pride that we already knew has been there, but it bolsters it even further,” he said. “Right here in this spot.”