Grocery Store That Eliminated Food Desert From Tulsa Community Grabs Attention Of The FTC

A Federal Trade Commissioner is in Tulsa to see the impact a grocery store is having on an area that didn’t have a grocery store for a long time.

Oasis Fresh Market near Pine and Peoria opened its doors in May of 2021, and since then it's made a positive impact on the community, grabbing the attention of the Federal Trade Commission.

This part of Tulsa was once considered a food desert, but now Oasis Fresh Market is providing access to healthy food. Owner Aaron Johnson believes in its mission to help his community eat better.

"If you live in an affluent community or in an underserved or rural community, we all deserve access," says Johnson.

The grocery is doing so well, it's attracting the attention of Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya. He's visiting on Wednesday to look at what Oasis is doing right and to learn from their success.

"I wanted to know how they're doing it, I wanted to learn how others could do the same across the country," says Bedoya.

He says Oasis could serve as a model for other communities across the U.S. that Struggle to get fresh and healthy food.

"I think what's happening here is really special and really important because this is a community effort to build a store that's tailored for this community that's run by this community," Bedoya says.

Two city councilors from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, also visited to learn about what they can do about a food desert in their town. Lanette Frazier knows firsthand the struggles of food insecurity.

"I, on a personal level, experienced hunger, I experienced not having food and having to decide whether to pay a bill or get groceries and so I know the importance of having a grocery store in our neighborhood," says Frazier.