HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE
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While many Healthy Corner Store Initiative participants focus on serving their own customers, Mr. Mc’s Market owner Quantin McIntosh has taken on a broader role.
McIntosh helps recruit stores into the initiative and works to solve one of the biggest challenges facing small retailers: buying produce in quantities they can afford.
“Many smaller stores don’t meet the minimum order requirements for produce delivery,” McIntosh said. “They don’t need $3,000 worth of watermelon — they just need 10.”
By helping stores coordinate purchases and share resources, McIntosh is helping build a network that makes fresh produce more accessible for neighborhood markets.
The market, located in the former P&P Seed and Bait building at 21st Street and Interstate 135, sells fresh produce and other grocery items while serving as a resource for both customers and fellow store owners participating in the initiative.
McIntosh’s vision extends beyond selling produce. Through produce stands and other community-based efforts, he hopes to create opportunities for people who often struggle to find employment while expanding access to healthy foods in Wichita neighborhoods.
For McIntosh, improving food access is not just about one store. It’s about helping neighborhood businesses work together while creating healthier communities and new opportunities for the people who live in them.
