Global Market goes for the Gold

by DENNIS GEISINGER

Fresh, naturally grown produce,poultry and dairy are abundant.

"If Global Market succeeds, Lake Street succeeds," said Joyce Wisdom, Executive Director of the Lake Street Council. "And after here only two years, it's success has been phenomenal," Wisdom said.
Wisdom meets every other week with a marketing group for the two-year-old, internationally flavored market that occupies the old Sears tower near the intersection of Lake and Chicago. Her views maybe at least partially obliged to her position as a premier booster of all that is Lake Street, but judging from sales, the steady increase in the number of its visitors and the recent expansions of several of its core tenants, Global Market is succeeding.

"Grocery sales are up around 20 percent for the year and traffic if upat least 5 percent over last year," said Neighborhood Development
Center (NDC) Director, John Wheeler. Wheeler, who has been at the Global Market since Sept. of last year, was instrumental in developing a three-year strategic plan for the venue that calls for an increased focus on grocery and fresh food.

Farm in the Market and the Produce Exchange have pushed out their spaces with an ever-increasing array of fresh, naturally-grown meats,poultry, dairy and produce. In the last year, Holy Land Deli has almost doubled its buffet and grocery and has installed a halal butcher, which means that its meats are prepared under Islamic religious law. Jakeeno's Trattoria has a opened new deli section. NDC is the non-profit that develops the start-up businesses inside Global Market, and in partnership with other community organizations "helps emerging entrepreneurs develop successful businesses that revitalize their neighborhoods," according to thier website.

Since moving into Global Market, La Loma Tamales owners, Enrique and Noelia Garcia, have taken full advantage of the "business incubator"services offered by NDC, the technical advice and money that it made it possible for them to expand to other restaurant locations outside the market and distribute their tamales in several large grocery store chains.

According to Wheeler, NDC's technical consulting made it possible for another of his tenants, a Latin-themed party supply store called Fiesta in America, to increase its sales by 75 percent.

Michelle Geyer came from Chicago as a pastry chef in one of that city's top restaurants, Charlie Trotter's. Pursuing a dream of opening her own bakery, she has been installed at the market for seven weeks now, calling her new business, "Salty Tart." "She's been going gangbusters already," said Wisdom. "Things are going pretty well," said Geyer. "Lots of people have stopped by, especially on the weekends," she said.

"Despite the economy, things are slowly picking up," said Arte Hispano co-owner Daniel Chacon, who with his wife, Ana, are artists from El Salvador. After a successful start at the Mercado Central just blocks away on Lake St., the Chacons opened their second store at the Midtown Global Market, selling a variety of Ana's hand made and painted art as well as art imported from her native country and Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Ecuador.

New business is replacing old. Wheeler says he expects five to ten new tenants in the next several months. A deal has been made for new owners to take over the closed eatery Andy's garage after owner D.J. Traudt, was sidelined with health problems. A new Asian restaurant called Jade now occupies space where the now defunct Chang Bang bar and cafe once operated. Global Market tenants do not have an easy road ahead of them. "Things are tough," said Cultural Herbs co-owner, A. Jama.

The shop, which sells medicinal herbs from around the world sees only a few interested customers, according to Jama, who says he also abandoned an idea to develop a new business plan. Yet signs overall remain good for the market's continued success. One academic paper published this spring by independent consultant, Nandinee Kutty, which featured Midtown Global Market as a model said that, "Cultural authenticity provides a competitive advantage to a region for attracting tourists and residents, it promotes economic and social equity, and it strengthens the sustainability of a region."

The Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce evens highlights the Global Market as a "what's new" feature in its promotional material, along with new Guthrie Theater and the coming of the new downtown Twins stadium.