Community ownership transforms Kensington Avenue with fresh food, local jobs, and neighborhood investment

Philadelphia, PA – Kensington Food Company has officially opened its doors on Kensington Avenue, bringing more than groceries to the corridor. For many residents in one of Philadelphia’s most visible Hispanic neighborhoods, the store represents fresh food access, community ownership, local jobs, and a direct response to what neighbors said they needed.

Adriana Abizadeh-Barbour, executive director of the Kensington Corridor Trust, said the decision came directly from residents.

“Kensington is 65% Hispanic and Latina,” Abizadeh-Barbour said. “We heard from folks directly that they wanted a grocery store. Here’s a grocery store.”

The store is located inside one of the Trust’s collectively owned spaces and is now the organization’s 11th business on the corridor, with three more expected to open later this year. According to Abizadeh-Barbour, 100% of the small business owners working with the Trust are from Kensington.

“At the heart of it all is this neighborhood,” she said. “It’s the people who live here, the people who have small businesses here.”

For Hispanic families in Kensington, the store has the potential to meet both daily and cultural needs. Abizadeh-Barbour said Kensington Food Company plans to expand culturally responsive products, including foods familiar to Puerto Rican and Latino households.

The opening also reflects KCT’s broader model: real estate controlled by the community instead of outside investors. To sit on KCT’s board, members must be co-owners of the real estate, defined by being a resident or small business owner in the 19134 ZIP code.

“Everyone who’s making the day-to-day decisions about the Trust, they’re from this neighborhood,” Abizadeh-Barbour said.

Before selecting Kensington Food Company, KCT returned to residents to confirm the fit.

For KCT, that process matters because the goal is not just filling vacant storefronts. The goal is bringing in businesses residents actually need — grocery stores, salons, botanicas, laundromats, and other services that support daily life in Kensington.

The store is launching with three new jobs, with the potential for more as the business grows. Later this year, the building is also expected to include a shared commercial kitchen on the second floor, creating opportunities for local food entrepreneurs to grow on the avenue.

Honoring Smooches

The celebration also included a special recognition for Gloria “Smooches” Cartagena Hart, a Kensington resident, Latina, and community organizer with the Kensington Corridor Trust.

During the event, Cartagena Hart received a Certificate of Recognition from State Senator Christine Tartaglione honoring her commitment to strengthening the community, supporting neighborhood grocery stores, and helping improve quality of life for youth, seniors, and residents in Kensington.

For Cartagena, the moment was personal. “I live here, work here, play here,” she said. “Being a part of KCT is investing in my own community.”

She said the grocery store represents a rebirth of neighborhood businesses residents have lost over time.

“We live in a rebirth of stores that we have lost, and we bring stores back,” Cartagena said.

Speaking directly to Latinas and residents in the community, she added:

“You have more power than you know. You just have to open your mouth and speak up. We’re loud. Let’s make it known.”

Kensington Food Company is not just a new grocery store. It is a visible example of what happens when Hispanic voices are heard, residents are trusted, and community ownership becomes a tool for economic power.