LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new grocery store and food pantry called The After Market has opened in northeast Las Vegas.
"I got some soda, some Gatorade, some water," Kelly Floyd said.
The After Market grocery store means everything for Kelly Floyd and others near Nellis and Craig.
"I'm happy, very relieved," Floyd said.
Neighborhoods have been without a nearby grocery store since the closure of a Walmart in 2016. But now, a hybrid supermarket operated by the Foundation Christian Center has opened behind the former Walmart location. CEO Dewayne McCoy says he understands the struggle for nearby residents.
"I lived in this community back before Walmart actually opened up, so when the major chain shut down, I understood the void that would be left over," McCoy said.
The new store is expected to benefit almost 10,000 people; many customers have been traveling 5 to 7 miles to shop for groceries in recent years.
"Lake Mead and Hollywood is the nearest store, and that's at least a couple of miles from here. Without a vehicle, you're trucking it on the bus with your groceries, and it's tough." said customer Dennis Free.
"There's no other place to buy food around here, except 7-Eleven," said another customer.
The county provided some of the funding to support the store's launch. Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick says the store will help address the widespread food insecurity issue in the valley.
"We have a unique model here. There's a food pantry, so no one has to leave without anything, and there's also a component we'll be able to cook for those in the neighborhood as well," Kirkpatrick said.
The Foundation Christian Center envisions The After Market as a Las Vegas staple.
