The commission's specific aim, Zuppardo told SN, is to find ways to make fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods available to people in underserved parts of the region, with specific emphasis on Orleans Parish. “As a grocer, it's my belief that the best, fastest and most efficient way to accomplish that goal is by adding more supermarkets,” he said.

“We're hoping for a grant of $20 million to assist entrepreneurs in meeting that goal.”

Under the recommendations Zuppardo submitted to the New Orleans City Council last month, the city would provide grants of up to $500,000 for each store opened and additional funding through low-rent loans to operators who rehabilitate old buildings or construct new ones and who purchase new equipment for the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables.

To qualify for the municipal grants under the commission's proposal, operators must have owned and run a supermarket previously and have a track record of success, he indicated.

Zuppardo said he hopes the commission can find other sources beside the city to help cover the costs of installing security measures at new stores, including cameras and parking-lot lighting, and it plans to seek federal approval to give a tax break on employee salaries to retailers who hire people from the local area, he indicated.

He said he's optimistic the commission's recommendations will be adopted by the city before the end of the year — and by state and federal authorities at a later date — and that construction of new supermarkets in Orleans Parish can begin within a year.

He doubts the city will have any problem attracting operators, he added. “If you're giving someone money for building and equipment — and hopefully for security and salaries as well — that's a pretty strong incentive for someone looking to get into business or to grow an existing business,” Zuppardo explained.

The proposal would also eliminate a lot of the red tape retailers in New Orleans have been accustomed to, he pointed out. “There will be no hoops to jump through,” he explained.

“It will be almost like having a personal shopper, with the city assigning one person to each retailer interested in opening a store in Orleans who will take him from office to office to office to get all the paperwork filled out and approved.”

Campbell said the work the commission is doing “is great, because making it easier for people to open stores in Orleans Parish will encourage more operators to take the risk. Until now there's been a lot of bureaucracy and red tape that has really complicated the process.”