New, fresh foods market will end 'food desert' in Sharpsburg
John Jericho of Sharpsburg is tired of leaving Sharpsburg to buy groceries.
The senior citizen soon won’t have to leave the borough to access fresh, quality produce and groceries with the opening of a new market called Harvest on Main Community Market, set to open in early 2026.
Harvest on Main is the culmination of several years of planning and, most recently, fundraising to provide a nonprofit community market as an extension to the nonprofit Second Harvest Community Thrift Store in Sharpsburg.
The market aims to make fresh food accessible and affordable to all.
Harvest on Main shoppers will be able to use EBT/SNAP and Food Bucks benefits, and all foods will be priced below-market.
“It’ll be great. I will be able to walk there. I’ve been watching them put the new roof on it but didn’t know what was going in,” Jericho said. “We need something like this. There’s nothing here.”
The upcoming market is located at 808 Main St. in the former Brother Tom’s Bakery building.
Farewell food desert
The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated Sharpsburg a food desert in a 2010 study.
The nearest grocery store to Sharpsburg is a Giant Eagle Market District more than 2 miles away in The Waterworks shopping center, making it difficult to access for the many Sharpsburg residents who don’t own a vehicle and rely on walking to businesses.
Sharpsburg Mayor Kayla Portis is thrilled to soon welcome a market and say farewell to decades of food desert status in the borough.
“This is exactly what Sharpsburg needed. Accessible, sustainable, affordable — and right in a prime location for our residents, especially our seniors,” Portis said. “Many in our community live without vehicles or face mobility challenges, and having fresh food within walking distance is truly life-changing. Our residents and neighbors are excited to see this vision come to fruition.”
A 2018 Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan cited a grocery store as the No. 1 need of the community.
In February of this year, Second Harvest fielded a survey to area community members to learn more about their shopping habits and to inquire about their feelings on a community market in Sharpsburg.
More than 120 responses were received in the first 24 hours.
Bonnie DeMotte, executive director at Second Harvest, used the data from the survey to customize a business plan for Harvest on Main.
She has been brought to tears on more than one occasion watching the evolution of Harvest on Main come to fruition.
“When I told the local Sharpsburg librarian about this, she cried. She told me she loves to have blueberries with her oatmeal, but it’s so hard to find fresh fruit in her house and if she could walk down the street and get blueberries, it would change her life,” DeMotte said. “It really bolstered my excitement because you see how impactful it will be.”
Second Harvest bought the former Brother Tom’s building. It has a commercial kitchen and bakery, lending itself to a sustainable business plan, DeMotte said.
The late Tom Hartman, a Catholic brother in the Society of the Brother Servants of the Holy Spirit, operated a neighborhood bakery for more than a decade.
The market offers 2,000 square feet of retail space and will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and closed on weekends.
Construction crews currently are working to overhaul the interior, designed with a modern, industrial vibe with plenty of natural light and warm tones.
Building upgrades include a new roof, HVAC and electrical systems.
The space housed Dom’s Market more than 30 years ago but has sat vacant since Brother Tom’s closed in 2024.
Second Harvest Board member Gail Burke of Fox Chapel and the Burke Foundation has volunteered at Second Harvest Community Thrift store and has been instrumental in fundraising efforts.
“The Burke Foundation has been unbelievably supportive and generous of Second Harvest from day one,” DeMotte said.
Since May, Second Harvest has raised about 75% of its $2 million fundraising campaign to fully fund the building, start-up costs, renovations and more.
Burke recently visited Harvest on Main to check out the latest renovations and expressed gratitude for everyone’s volunteer and fundraising efforts.
“Now we have a new program and donors are very enthusiastic about the project,” Burke said.
The market will feature a grab-and-go, freshly prepared lineup of food that will include homemade soups, homemade pierogis (from Brother Tom’s recipe), fresh sandwiches and a deli. Plans include offering foods from local businesses such as fresh pork from Frankie’s Sausage, which is across the street.
“Every social determinant of health points to access to healthy foods. That can impact healthy outcomes in school and will impact our Fox Chapel Area School District tremendously to have a significant population have access to healthy foods,” DeMotte said.
Board member Cynthia Lackey of Fox Chapel described the “cherry on top” from the upcoming market.
“It’s truly a testament to how strongly the community has supported this idea,” DeMotte said.
“The produce. People won’t have to go to Giant Eagle. This will be convenient and produce will be sold at cost, with no markup,” Lackey said. “When it’s not affordable, people aren’t buying it. If you want a healthy community with healthy children, we’re going to make it easier.”
Second Harvest Community Thrift Store welcomes more than 100 customers daily, and DeMotte said anyone and everyone is welcome at Harvest on Main.
“I really want to cross-market, and people visiting Second Harvest can … come to Harvest on Main and pick up dinner, walking right over,” DeMotte said.
Harvest on Main has a full-time staff of four employees, including DeMotte and director of operations Jill Chiu, retail manager Jamie Kozlowski and deli/production manager Christopher Condrin, nephew of the late Brother Tom.
Chiu of Fox Chapel helped launch Second Harvest and defined the way the nonprofit operates as a volunteer and former board member.
The vision for Harvest on Main is to become the cornerstone of the community.
“We will have a community feel, and this will be a nice place for everyone to come to and get some affordable food,” Condrin said.
The Second Harvest Community Free Fridge program at Second Harvest Community Thrift Store will remain. It is stocked with donated frozen and fresh foods and is available 24/7 to community members.
“That program will actually benefit from the market because other markets we toured are paying for disposal of near-expired foods, but we can walk it across the street,” DeMotte said.
Kozlowski, who has lived in Sharpsburg for 43 years, will handle the front of the “mini-grocery” store selling frozen products, fresh fruits and vegetables, boxed goods, prepared foods, salads, cheeses and canned goods.
“I raised my kids here and we don’t have a grocery store, and the older people and low-income folks have to take a bus or get a ride to the grocery store,” she said. “You can’t go anywhere close to get a tomato, onion or banana — this will change that.”
To learn more or volunteer, email info@secondharvest.com.
To donate, click here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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