Downtown shoppers will have 'A Better Way' to buy groceries starting July 18
ALBANY – Since 2019 A Better Way Grocers has been hitting the road to make access to fresh vegetables more convenient by taking healthier foods to neighborhoods. Owners Tiffany and Tommie Terrell started their venture with a van and now have a bus that makes the rounds in five counties.
Later this month, the Terrells will officially open a permanent downtown Albany location at 106 S. Jackson St., with the same offerings of fresh produce, eggs and meat, grains, plus fresh smoothies and nutritious health drink shots.
After holding several "soft-opening" events at the new store, Tiffany Terrell said she is excited about the venture.
"It's been amazing, overwhelmingly amazing," she said. "It's been phenomenal seeing the response of the people who are looking and trying different things, who are wanting certain specialty items, looking to make a change in their diets. Hopefully this is something that will transform downtown Albany."
A Better Way Grocers is the first of several coming businesses assisted through the Albany Department of Community Development's business incubator program, Economic Development Program Manager Barbara Francis-Armistead said.
When the store was open on a recent Sunday, there was a large crowd of people on hand, Tiffany Terrell said.
"I'm really excited about (downtown growth)," she said. "It's just like yesterday, we had some customers come over and we asked them to patronize our neighbors and they said they would. People talk bad about Albany. We need to be more intentional. We hope we will be what we need in our community."
Kicking off their venture at Albany State University's 2019 Homecoming, A Better Way Grocers set out with a mission of bringing healthy food to underserved communities.
"We started off with the step van, what people would call an old milk truck," Tiffany Terrell said. "(This was) right before COVID started looming. COVID propelled our business because people couldn't get out. Once people were not able to get out, it really propelled us to meet the need that people needed food."
Since then, there have been upgrades to buses, and now a 1983 model is on the road every week.
"Now we've moved up to a bigger one with air conditioning," Tiffany Terrell said. "That's the big thing, air conditioning."
Large swaths of Albany are considered to be "food deserts," locations where there is not convenient access to fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly for individuals who do not have transportation. The same is true for rural counties in the area. Currently the grocers make regular appearances at 10 sites in Dougherty County, as well as sites in Colquitt, Mitchell, Thomas and Lee counties.
Some individuals who lack transportation pay to have someone take them to the grocery store, which can be expensive, Tiffany Terrell said. So while they can't match the prices of big grocery stores, the hourlong stops in neighborhoods offer the opportunity to save money on transportation.
"They can come out and just shop freely," she said. "We are just like any small grocery store, any 'mom-and-pop' store."
Plus, customers who use electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards get a 50% discount.
"That's how we've been able to ensure fresh food access to local individuals," Tiffany Terrell said.
The downtown storefront also will offer convenience, as it is located across the street from Albany's Transportation Center on Oglethorpe Boulevard. Riders who have to wait for a bus transfer can walk over and use that time to pick up groceries without having to go out of their way to make a trip to a store.
"People who have mobility issues and transportation issues, it's easier for them to come to the bus than it is for them to get in a car to go to the grocery store," Tiffany Terrell said. "It's major. You think about all the people at the bus station. Now they can come here (and) people are no longer having to pay somebody $25 to go to the grocery store."
The permanent store location gives the Terrells the opportunity to offer more varieties of grains and is the site of the produce bar, dubbed the "Farmacy," where they make the smoothies and nutrition shots. A video screen at the bar displays nutrition information about the various fruits and vegetables used.
Among the offerings there is acai, a berry native to South America that is high in antioxidants.
"The produce bar is just a way to inspire people to go home and prepare different things," Tiffany Terrell said. "Part of it is education, just being able to show them what different foods can do within their body. I think fresh food is what everybody wants."
In the future, A Better Way Grocers is looking at working with local farmers to provide some of the produce and is looking at a partnership with the Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy, which operates a large greenhouse operation.
"We do have a lot of partners that we contract with to do distributions," Tiffany Terrell said. "We've got private donors who love our work who help us tremendously."
The store represents an investment of about $18,000 to $20,000 Tiffany Terrell said. The store opens on July 18, with hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"Partnership and support is vital," Tommie Terrell said.
