Shana Manradge, A Better Market

Patterson, nJ

A Better Market is Paterson, New Jersey’s first Healthy Corner Store, founded by lifelong resident Shana Manradge. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic out of a personal struggle to find affordable, healthy food in her own neighborhood, the store began in a room of her home, then her basement, then her garage, before opening a brick-and-mortar location in the heart of the city.

The market partners with local and regional farms to bring fresh, affordable produce into a designated food desert while offering programs that make healthy eating accessible for all residents — including produce subsidy initiatives, nutrition education classes, and community partnerships with schools, gardens, and local organizations. The store is planning to expand its impact through a mobile market and its cold-pressed juice line, A Better Juice, to reach even more neighborhoods and families.

A Better Market is more than a grocery store — it’s a community model proving that access, affordability, and dignity can exist together in healthy food retail.

Website: www.abettermarket.com
Instagram: @abettermarket_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abettermarket