Watts Up Mini Market, a corner grocery in the Watts neighborhood, is swinging its doors back open this Friday after a renovation, with a public ribbon-cutting set for noon on Feb. 13. Owner Keisha Daniels, who is part of the local Sisters of Watts network, says the shop will stock everyday staples and accept EBT to make groceries easier to reach for nearby families. Organizers describe the relaunch as a practical step toward narrowing a long-running gap in supermarket access across the neighborhood.
According to CALÓ News, the ribbon-cutting will be held at 9502 Anzac Avenue and is free and open to the public; that report also identifies Keisha Daniels as the store proprietor. The outlet reports that local and state leaders expected to attend include Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Elmy Bermejo of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, CAMEO Network CEO Carolina Martinez and a representative from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
Store Will Stock Basics And Take EBT Cards
Local business listings indicate the shop will accept SNAP/EBT and carry staples such as bread and milk, putting everyday groceries a short walk away for many residents. That matters because Watts has long been mapped by the USDA Economic Research Service as an area with low supermarket access.
Neighbors Built The Shop
The market is tied to the Sisters of Watts, a community group that has run food giveaways, back-to-school drives and youth programs across the neighborhood. As The Guardian has reported, the sisters have become a visible local organizing force, using grassroots events and services to fill gaps left by constrained public resources.
State Program And Local Lenders Pitched In
Daniels accessed business coaching and capital through the state-backed SCALE network; the CAMEO Network notes SCALE has connected more than 6,800 entrepreneurs with no-cost advising. CALÓ News reports that the Macedonia Community Development Corporation helped with renovation and reopening, as part of a broader push by local nonprofits and community lenders to support micro-retail projects in South L.A.
Ribbon-Cutting And Resources For Small Businesses
The ceremony starts at noon at 9502 Anzac Avenue and will include free food from Creative Eats. Small-business owners looking for guidance on coaching or capital can connect with the state's SCALE network; the California Office of the Small Business Advocate maintains resources and intake options for interested entrepreneurs.
Watts Up Mini Market will not erase the neighborhood's deeper food-system challenges overnight, but it gives residents a nearby place to buy essentials and to use EBT, a concrete change organizers say will ease a daily burden for many families. For community leaders who have run food programs for years, the store is another tool in a broader effort to keep healthy options and small-business opportunity inside Watts.
