KC grocery store sought to make healthy food easier to access. It may be closing soon

The Midtown health food store Community Groceries is on the brink of permanent closure, its founder said Thursday.

“Costs have gone up, and we are still waiting on the funds from a federal grant we were awarded earlier this year,” said Kortney Lee.

Lee opened Community Groceries in January 2023 at 640 E. 18th St., later moving it to its current location at 3501 Troost Ave.

His vision was to build a place where healthy foods were easier to access from both a financial and logistical perspective.

“Community Groceries was created to be like the YMCA for nutrition,” Lee said.

Among other things, the store sold products in smaller quantities than are typically found in a grocery store.

“The problem we’re really looking to solve is allowing consumers to purchase exactly what they need without having to spend a fortune on what they don’t need,” Lee said when the Troost location opened late last year .

A sign posted outside Community Groceries earlier this week said it had closed “temporarily.”

In a press release issued Friday afternoon, Lee said “millions” had been invested into the project but that it would need the support of the community to continue.

“We have done everything in our power to provide essential services and address food insecurity in this underserved community,” Lee said in the release. “Regardless of the crime in the area, we want to continue to stand strong and remain a staple in the community. However, without additional support, we can no longer sustain operations at our Troost location.”

Community Groceries is a nonprofit, Lee said. It has sought funding at the city, county, state and federal levels. Now, he is hoping individuals will make donations to the organization to keep it afloat.

Lee also owns Otaku Lounge, a recently opened anime and gaming lounge in the East Crossroads.