Luna’s Grocery is looking to expand, but isn’t quite sure where just yet.
Luna’s opened in 2019 to serve what had been a food desert in the Allied Drive neighborhood on Madison’s South Side. The area had been without access to fresh food and groceries for nearly 10 years. With some help from the City of Madison and other grant funding sources and community donations, the grocery got off the ground and has thrived by offering culturally-appropriate food items to the diverse neighborhood as well as intentionally engaging the community through events like its annual block party.
Owner Mariam Maldonado said it was always her plan to expand and open stores across Wisconsin.
“Now we have almost three years with Luna’s. We’ve discovered what concept we want to focus (on) and we feel that we ready for the second location,” Maldonado said.
Maldonado said she would like the new location to be within Dane County.
“We want to replicate what we have at Luna’s,” she said. “We want to be in a neighborhood that has a big population, (to be) the nearest store within walking distance and we can tailor that store to the needs of that particular neighborhood.”
She said she also hopes to replicate the block parties and other community engagement activities that have helped make the first store successful. She’s looking for 4,000 – 6,000 square feet, plus storage.
Luna’s got funding from the City of Madison aimed at solving the food desert problem in the Allied Drive neighborhood, and Maldonado said she would seek similar assistance if necessary to open a new store, especially if the new location is another food desert.
“I think I have proven my work with Lunas. The city of Madison has been very supportive,” she said.
Anyone who’s aware of available retail space or who would like to discuss Luna’s opening in their neighborhood can email [email protected] or call 608-698-6107.
