New supermarket brings fresh food to Houston Avenue neighborhoods

Residents along Houston Avenue don’t have to walk or bus to a grocery store anymore in order to put fresh food on their table. Mike Supermarket opened in February, offering a selection of fresh produce, meats and dairy products directly to the community. 

The new grocery store — formerly a Dollar General beside Bruce Elementary School — sat vacant for a few years until Manishkumar “Mike” Patel decided the community he has serviced for 15 years needed a place to buy fresh food.

Mike owns Pelican Foods convenience store down the road and is well-known in the community. Customers would come in and share their struggle to find groceries nearby.

“People around this neighborhood are so happy because a lot of people don’t have a car,” said Sawan “Sam” Patel, the supermarket’s general manager and Mike’s nephew. “They don’t have to go 15-20 minutes away, getting rides.”

Renovation of the former Dollar General took nearly two years to complete and included installing new flooring, roofing and coolers.  Mike and Sam did much of the work themselves, including painting the floors and having a staff member build custom produce shelves out of wood with one of their employees. 

People would come into Mike’s convenience store everyday while the supermarket was being worked on to ask when it would officially open, according to Sam.

This is how the grocery store got its name: Mike, a community fixture, spread news of his new supermarket by word of mouth.

“Everyone knows him by name,” Sam said. “It’s Mike’s store, that’s why they’re coming.”

The supermarket has been up and running for four months and includes several walk-in coolers and two food preparation areas. Customers can purchase sliced fruit and ground meat packaged in the store.

Sam said they are still learning about their customers’ needs and adjusting inventory accordingly.

The grocery store serves 150-270 customers daily, he said. Many folks still don’t know about Mike’s store, but it held a grand opening earlier this month. 

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller and County Commissioner Paul Bronson attended the ribbon cutting.

“It’s kind of a little slow right now,” Mike said, adding that he hopes business will pick up as time goes on. “People need to shop.  (We) make sure they can shop locally, right here. We did this project for them.”

In the future, Sam said they hope to obtain a lottery and tobacco license and offer pharmacy products. They’re also considering hot food options.

Bronson, who serves District 2 including the neighborhoods on Houston Avenue, called Mike Supermarket the “perfect location” to serve the community.

He hopes to be able to provide grant funding to local businesses like Mike’s which are helping improve accessibility to nutritious food options. 

Addressing the food desert is just one part of revitalization efforts in the area, he said, noting recent improvements to Cliffview Park and the addition of security cameras to Houston Avenue.

“We are really cooking over in Houston Avenue and South Macon. I’m just excited for everything we’re doing,” Bronson said. 

He talked with Mike about having locally sourced food and hiring locals, especially young folks, at Mike Supermarket. After conversations with Mike, Bronson is also looking to bolster security by working with the sheriff’s office to have additional patrols on Houston Avenue.

The area has faced challenges for as long as he has lived in Macon, but Bronson said he hopes revitalization efforts can bridge the gap between Houston Avenue and downtown.

“A lot of times people don’t support things. They see stuff start to happen, and I get it, it’s years of being told, ‘hey, we’re working on it and then nothing happens,” Bronson said. “Now we’re in a good position to really bring Houston Avenue — the families there — to an equal playing field.”