Nearly half of Lafayette’s residents, approximately 65,000 people, live in areas identified as both low-income and low-access. United Way of Acadiana has spent years studying those gaps, listening to residents and working with local partners on solutions designed to last.
A historic building on Jefferson Boulevard on the Northside of Lafayette, Louisiana is being transformed into a neighborhood grocery store.
Initiated by United Way of Acadiana, Jefferson Market & Deli will bring fresh food, everyday groceries and healthier grab-and-go meals closer to the people who live, work, travel through and visit North Lafayette.
Construction is underway on the 2,300-square-foot building at 620 Jefferson Boulevard. The store is expected to open by Mardi Gras 2027.
Jefferson Market & Deli will do more than sell groceries. With support from United Way of Acadiana and its partners, the store will also provide community health programs, educational events, resource connections and other forms of practical support. The project is supported by funding from Lafayette Consolidated Government, Louisiana Blue Foundation and upLFT Capital Access.
A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE IS COMING TO PONTIAC POINT
Interior renderings of future Jefferson Market & Deli, 620 Jefferson Boulevard.
HOW DID THE IDEA FOR JEFFERSON MARKET & DELI BEGIN?
Jefferson Market & Deli grew from a larger question: What would it take to bring fresh food closer to Lafayette residents who have limited access to it?
United Way of Acadiana began looking for answers through the Lafayette Initiative for Food Equity. The effort followed a Community Health Needs Assessment conducted through United Way’s local hospital partnerships.
The findings showed that nearly half of Lafayette residents, approximately 65,000 people, lived in census tracts classified as both low-income and low-access.
Those findings helped United Way and its partners better understand the scale of the problem. They also made clear that no single food pantry, community garden or assistance program could solve it alone.
With support from a Louisiana Blue Fresh Food Capital Investment Grant and American Rescue Plan Act funding provided through Lafayette Consolidated Government, United Way began moving from research to action.
Since 2023, the Lafayette Initiative for Food Equity has:
Jefferson Market & Deli is the next phase of that work.
The project moves beyond short-term food assistance by helping establish permanent food infrastructure, a neighborhood grocery store intended to serve the community for years to come.
WHY DOES PONTIAC POINT NEED A GROCERY STORE?
The neighborhoods surrounding Pontiac Point have had limited access to nearby grocery options for years.
While other parts of Lafayette have gained new stores and more choices, big-box retailers have come and gone from the Northside. Their departure has left residents with fewer places to purchase fresh food and everyday groceries close to home.
The area is not without food businesses. Local grocers, specialty butchers and convenience stores each serve an important purpose. But gaps remain, particularly for residents looking for a full range of groceries in one nearby location.
According to mapping by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, an estimated 2,500 residents near Pontiac Point in Census Tracts 12 and 13 have limited access to fresh food.
That can mean traveling farther to shop, relying on multiple stores to complete a grocery list or paying additional transportation costs. For people without reliable transportation, the distance between home and a grocery store can become a significant barrier.
Jefferson Market & Deli, which is now under construction, is located at 620 Jefferson Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70501.
HOW WILL THE MARKET & DELI WORK?
Jefferson Market & Deli combines community investment with local ownership.
Amis Grocery operators Bradley Cruice, RN and Craig Biddy will run the for-profit neighborhood store.
Its planned offerings include:
The for-profit model is intentional. Rather than depending indefinitely on charitable donations to operate, the market is being developed as a locally owned business that can eventually sustain itself through grocery sales.
Castle Row Construction, led by Sam Viator, is serving as the project’s developer. The company acquired the historic property to create a permanent home for the store and is leading the redevelopment and tenant buildout needed to open it.
The historic character of the building will be retained as it is renovated for its new use.
WHAT ELSE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE STORE?
Food access is about more than placing groceries on shelves.
United Way of Acadiana will help coordinate community programming, volunteer participation and connections to useful resources. Local chefs, dietitians, nutrition educators and other healthy-food practitioners will have opportunities to share their knowledge through programs and events at the store.
SNAP benefits will be accepted at the store.
Jefferson Market & Deli is not intended to replace food pantries, community gardens or other food-assistance programs. It will operate as one part of a broader food-access system in which businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, growers and residents each play a role.
If the model succeeds, it could also help inform similar efforts in other communities facing limited access to fresh food.
Jefferson Market & Deli is now under construction at 620 Jefferson Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70501.
What products should the market carry? What kinds of programs would be useful? Which local growers and vendors should be represented?
Complete the survey below to share your ideas and help shape the market’s products, services and community programming.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN HELP SHAPE WHAT COMES NEXT FOR JEFFERSON MARKET & DELI
A project of United Way of Acadiana
Locally operated by Amis Grocery
In partnership with Castle Row Construction and Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority
Accelerated by funding from Lafayette Consolidated Government, Louisiana Blue Foundation and upLFT Capital Access
UNITED FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY
MEDIA CONTACT
Sarah Forman
Sarah@SFormanStudio.com
985-373-8120
