Food deserts worsen in Southern Dallas

Two Save A Lot grocery stores in Southern Dallas are closing, adding to what is already a dire need for fresh and affordable food in the area, reports the Dallas Morning News.

The battle with food insecurity has been going on for years, with the City of Dallas even going to the extent of offering cash offers to grocers if they open stores.

Yellow Banana acquired the two locations on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Lancaster Road at the end of 2021 with the plan to renovate them. The Martin Luther King store closed on Feb. 16 while the South Lancaster site shut down today.

Save A Lot said it remains committed to providing high-quality and fresh, affordable food options at other locations.

According to the City of Dallas, over 36% of residents live in areas that have been defined as food deserts. Furthermore, a national survey by the Department of Agriculture revealed that around 15.5% of Texas households were dealing with food insecurity between 2020 and 2022, well above the national average of 11.5%.

The area served by the Martin Luther King Jr. location has a median household income of just under $40,000 and 51% of the residents are Hispanic and 38% are African-American. The financial situation is worse for those who shopped at the South Lancaster Road store. The median household income there is just over $32,000 and the population is mainly made up of Hispanics (49%) and African-Americans (45%).

Related:Save A Lot names interim CEO Fred Boehler to permanent role