A typical local communities' response to Bottom Dollar Food opening in their neighborhood

By Amanda Staller

For most people, a grocery store is just a grocery store. For the community of East Germantown, a grocery store is so much more. Nearly 200 residents of Germantown gathered on Oct. 31 at the new Bottom Dollar Food at 6301 Chew Ave. to celebrate the store’s grand opening. For many, the store’s opening means more than having access to affordable food; it also symbolizes the progress of a community.

New Bottom Dollar Food store at Chew Ave. and Washington Lane opened on Oct. 31, helping to fill a food desert in the area.

“This neighborhood is back on the map because of Bottom Dollar,” said Cindy Bass, who represents Germantown in City Council.

The 18,000 square-foot supermarket, which is open Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.,occupies a once vacant lot in East Germantown.

The store will offer about 55 jobs to local residents and will provide quality food that was not accessible prior to the store’s arrival, store officials said.

“A triple win…”

“Having Bottom Dollar here is a triple win for us,” said State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, whose district includes Germantown. “We got rid of the vacant lot, the community is gaining a quality supermarket, and it has created employment opportunity for people in our community.”

But Bottom Dollar Food is not your typical grocery store. While the insertion of the store into East Germantown is helping with the general landscape of food insecurity, the store looks to further fight hunger by teaming with local non-profit organizations. In an effort to do this, Bottom Dollar has given two donations of $1,000 each to the Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry and the Jenkintown United Methodist Church.

The Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, at 25 W. Chelten Avenue, has been seeing an influx of clients lately, and donation from Bottom Dollar Food could not have come at a better time.

“We’re happy that the store is not just trying to make a profit from the residents, but is also giving back,” said Executive Director Eileen Jones.

Germantown Crisis Ministry contributed $1,000.

Jones said that with the recent budget cuts to general assistance and Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, there is a rise in people who need food. Jones hopes to see the partnership between the Germantown Crisis Center and Bottom Dollar Food grow into a lasting association.

“We’re thankful to have the support from Bottom Dollar Food and hopefully we’ll continue to build an ongoing relationship so we can work on the forefront to fight hunger,” said Jones.

Almost 50 million Americans hungry

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 48.9 million Americans live in households struggling against hunger. Here in Germantown, hunger continues to be a persistent problem. Known as a long-standing food desert, Germantown often lack access to affordable, healthy food options.

According to the Community Health Data Base, 63.8 percent of the residents of East Germantown get only zero to two servings of vegetables per day. With the new addition of Bottom Dollar Food into the neighborhood, there will now be access to fresh and affordable produce.

“At Bottom Dollar Food, we are excited to deliver unbelievably low prices on fresh produce, quality meats, and the private and national brand that matter most to our customer,” said Bottom Dollar Food President Meg Ham. “We look forward to bring our ‘We Won’t Be Beat’ guarantee to customers in Germantown and Ambler and being a great partner in these communities.”

Poverty more than 30 percent in East Germantown

East Germantown has an unemployment rate of 15.5 percent and a poverty rate of 30.6 percent. This compares with national averages of 7.3 percent and 15 percent respectively. So low prices and affordability could be the key for the residents of East Germantown.

Parishioners at Jenkintown United Methodist Church, located in Montgomery County at the corner of Summit Avenue and Walnut Street, have seen the toll poverty has taken on some citizens and are eager to put their $1,000 donation from Bottom Dollar Food to good use at their food cupboard.

“We’ve definitely seen a dramatic increase in people who need help over the past year and a half, so we’re really excited to start this partnership with Bottom Dollar Food,” said Ali Danilak, office manager and volunteer coordinator for Jenkintown Methodist Church.

The donation from Bottom Dollar Food will help provide more meals for those in need. “We are developing a relationship with Bottom Dollar Food and it’s opening a whole new batch of opportunities for us to serve more people,” said Danilak.

East Germantown residents hailed the new grocery store in the neighborhood.

Ribbon cutting for new Bottom Dollar Food store.

“I love that it’s [Bottom Dollar] here. It’s so convenient,” said Germantown resident Phyllis Graves. Graves used to do her shopping at the nearby Fresh Grocer, but will now be switching her loyalty to Bottom Dollar Food. “The prices are so much better here than any other grocery store,” said Graves.

The new Bottom Dollar Food store started its Germantown grand opening by giving reusable bags filled with groceries to the first 200 customers and offering a meet and greet with ex-Philadelphia Eagles player Bill Bergey. The company hopes to attract customers with a quality product offered at a great price. With hunger being a prominent issue across Philadelphia, Mayor Michael A. Nutter voiced his approval of the new Bottom Dollar Food store.

“One of my goals as mayor has been to increase access to healthy, affordable food,” Nutter said. “This new store brings just that to Germantown. I’m excited for residents to have a great option for food shopping in their neighborhood and for more jobs to be added to the local economy.”