By Lauri Lee
Northside Economic Development Coalition

Madison Oriental Market is moving forward with remodeling reported in the April/May Northside News due to receiving a City of Madison Healthy Retail Access Fund grant in May. The specialty grocery store, owned by Kyle Lee and operated by his daughter Cynthia with assistance from his wife Choua, plays a significant role in our community.

The Northside is a multi-ethnic neighborhood that is considered a food desert for those who lack easy access to buy cultural food items. The remodeling will allow the Lee family to bring in additional Asian groceries to meet the needs of those from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well foods for those who want to prepare Asian, African, Indian and Hispanic food. They will also be able to stock additional staple grocery items.

The Northside community will have the opportunity to support this expansion. A Go Fund Me page (GoFundMe.com/MADisonoriental) has been established to raise $50,000 to help close the funding gap in this $500,000 project. Other funding sources include Kyle Lee personal loans, the City of Madison Healthy Retail Access Fund grant, The Alexander Company rental space updates, MG&E and Focus on Energy. The organizations and businesses that have made this project possible are: the City of Madison; Martee’s Consulting, LLC; Northside Planning Council; and Kessenichs LTD.