Horizon Market in Tarentum fills void with healthy food options

A small independent grocery store in Tarentum is filling a big void.

Horizon Market along Sixth Avenue has only a few aisles, but they’re stocked with locally sourced items like Wholey’s shrimp and Syrian bread from Fazio’s.

Specialty sandwiches and gourmet pastries sit alongside milk, chicken, ground meat and produce — all the staples necessary to cook healthy meals and fill pantries – without convenience store prices.

“We’re not looking to do like the bigger establishments and make a bunch of profit,” co-owner Brianna Thorpe said. “We keep prices as low as we can without losing money.

“We want to have good stuff at good prices for people who need it.”

The mission is working — the market has seen more than 15,000 transactions since opening less than three months ago.

That success tracks, according to University of Pittsburgh School of Business professor Audrey Murrell.

“Small food markets play an essential role in providing access to healthy, affordable and culturally relevant food for people and families who live in food deserts (places where families have limited access to affordable or nutritious food),” she said.

Co-founder of the nonprofit Food21, Murrell said independent groceries are an essential ingredient in reducing the negative impact of food deserts and providing meaningful workforce opportunities.

The opening of Horizon Market created about six jobs.

Thorpe and Harrison Realtor Cameron Yockey plan to open two more groceries this year, one at 912 Seventh St. in New Kensington, in the former Molnor Antiques space, and another at 1 Walnut St. in the Natrona section of Harrison, in the former Boat House Bar & Hotel.

All three locations are considered food deserts. Downtown New Kensington has been without a full-service grocery store since Shop ’n Save closed in April 2020. In Harrison, the Community Market announced it will close in October. There’s a Walmart farther up Freeport Road, but it’s not walkable from Natrona.

A Family Dollar in West Tarentum supplies food but is limited to snacks, frozen food and beverages.

Even for people with transportation, access to bigger grocery stores will be a challenge with the Tarentum Bridge set for construction in late 2026.

Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said having the market in town is a tremendous asset.

“For many residents, particularly those without easy access to transportation, being able to walk to a local grocery store for fresh produce and daily staples is essential,” he said. “It ensures that our neighbors can continue to access healthy food close to home, which supports both their well-being and our local economy.

“Horizon Market helps make sure that everyone, regardless of age or mobility, can meet their needs right here in town.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 47 million people across the country lack access to fresh food. That includes about 14 million children.

Laura Strange, communications officer for the National Grocers Association, said small grocers play a vital role in communities, especially in towns where many residents lack transportation.

They can make a difference in how people eat and also can create jobs, attract other businesses and support the local economy.

Thorpe said ordering from big and small distributors helps to keep prices in check. Meats come from Naser’s in Apollo; Italian specialties come from Fazio’s in Arnold and DeLallo’s in Jeannette; seafood is from Wholey’s in the Strip District.

“We get a price sheet that says what we should charge, and we try to go significantly under that as long as we can operate and not lose money,” Thorpe said.

At Walmart, 80/20 ground beef sells for $6.93 a pound. Horizon Market charges $6.79 for a 1-pound package — even if the package is slightly larger.

“We get them packaged in 1.3 or 1.6 pounds. We only charge for the pound,” Thorpe said.

A gallon of whole milk sells for $5.56 at Walmart. It costs $5.39 at Horizon.

Thorpe said pricing for toilet paper and paper towels has been a challenge because she hasn’t found a supplier that allows her to undercut the big chain prices.

“If you can go to Family Dollar and get paper towels cheaper, then you should. But we’ll keep them in stock and keep trying to get the prices down,” she said.

The store’s other challenge has been a good one to deal with — running out of in-demand items.

“We had people tell us that the old Rite Aid used to sell 50 loaves of bread a day,” Thorpe said. “We see now that bread goes pretty quickly.”

She has increased orders on most staples and tries not to be out of stock on them for longer than a day.

“If we run out of chips, it’s OK,” she said. “But things like eggs, bread, butter and milk, we want to have them available all the time.”