Far East Dallas gets a new supermarket. Dallas gets a healthier city

Everything still smells new and fresh at the Rio Grande Latin Market that opened in Far East Dallas a few weeks ago. Roma tomatoes, scallions and cantaloupes looked just-harvested, and alongside them were some fruit options like cactus pears and green plantains you don’t find so easily in regular supermarkets.

The opening of a supermarket isn’t normally the stuff of editorials. But in a city where access to healthful food is still too uncommon for too many residents, the work to bring better nutrition to Dallas residents takes serious public and private work to accomplish.

The new Rio Grande is especially welcome in Far East Dallas because it brings badly needed access to fresh produce and other supermarket goods that can improve people’s physical health.

This is not only a private investment. It’s the payoff of a public effort to help ensure that, across Dallas, neighborhoods have healthful foods available nearby.

El Rio Grande Latin Market was part of a $1.3 million economic development initiative with Vista Property Co. The deal included $7.4 million in improvements to the shopping center that anchors the supermarket, according to the city of Dallas.

Although it is geared toward a growing Hispanic market, it’s a mistake to view it as an “ethnic” grocery, a criticism that a prior council member leveled. This supermarket is a benefit to every resident in the area. The 59,200-square-foot store is strategically located between District 2 and District 7, at 3035 N. Buckner Blvd. Before its opening, the only food options nearby were a 7-Eleven, a Jack in the Box, a Sonic Drive-In and a Family Dollar store.

If you live in this area, you still need to make a six-minute drive north to the Casa Linda neighborhood to find an Albertsons. Without a car, something that many residents of this area lack, the 2- to 3-mile trip takes far longer.

A few miles south, a new H-E-B concept known as Joe V’s is set to open across from a Walmart Supercenter in spring 2025. So there is more good news on the way for these residents.

Having a supermarket in a nearby neighborhood can have an impact on the overall health of the community.

The ZIP code where the new Rio Grande Latin Market is located is 53% Hispanic. Residents have shown a high vulnerability for pediatric asthma, according to the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation. Fresh fruits and vegetables, sources of antioxidants and vitamin C, can help control symptoms of asthma or avoid its development, as some studies suggest.

Nearby ZIP codes to the south are also known to have high incidences of diabetes, according to Dallas County’s Community Health Needs Assessment. Given the preponderance of fast food and dollar-store groceries, it’s not a surprise that people have health issues that arise from poor diets.

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