Built By Neighbors
Market 166 is a community-owned grocery co-op startup in East Point, Georgia. We are everyday people who want to support local businesses, create space for community connection, and expand access to nutritious, affordable, and diverse foods.
Our Mission
We are more than a grocery store. We are:
- Expanding access to nutritious, quality, affordable, and diverse foods.
- Investing in our community by partnering with local and underrepresented farmers and producers.
- Cultivating a hub for community gatherings, connections, and innovations.
- Engaging and empowering our neighbors about nutrition, healthy living, and community wellbeing
Our Values
Transparency
We communicate openly and honestly.
Equity
We remove barriers to accessing the services of Market 166.
Collaboration
We are a people-centered enterprise that listens to each other, welcomes diverse views, and works together.
Belonging
We foster an environment where everyone feels welcome and empowered to participate.
Care
We support, respect, and demonstrate concern for each other.
Our Vision
A thriving, vibrant, and joyful community where people are nourished through good food and meaningful connections.
Our Story
At the heart of our story is a community coming together to meet our collective needs and build the grocery store we deserve.
2017-2019
Coming Together
It started with a question. In Facebook groups and on neighborhood porches, residents of the Tri-Cities began asking: Why do we have to leave our community to find fresh, high-quality food? We launched a survey, and over 300 neighbors responded.
In 2018, we incorporated Market 166 as a cooperative, elected our first Board, and wrote our bylaws. By 2019, we held our first Annual Ownership Meeting and started growing our owner base one conversation at a time.
2020-2021
Organizing Online
The pandemic hit. We moved our community organizing online, held our Second Annual Owners Meeting virtually, and completed our preliminary feasibility study. The work didn’t stop. We kept showing up, kept building, kept proving that this community was ready.
2022-2024
Farmers Market & More
In 2022, we crossed 300 owners and moved from organizing to planning. We launched Solidarity Shares at $20, because ownership should be possible for everyone. That same year, we piloted our first pop-up Mini-Market at the East Point Farmers Market.
By 2023, with a grant from the Food Well Alliance, we hired our first interns and operated at 15 markets across 5 locations. We purchased from 16 local businesses, including 6 Black-owned businesses, and directed 75 cents of every dollar back into the local economy. It worked.
But we learned the pop-up model was too labor-intensive to sustain. We needed a brick-and-mortar home.
2025
Opening Mini-Market
We partnered with Atlanta Utility Works and opened Mini-Market 166 as a permanent retail space in East Point. Now you can walk in, buy local honey, fresh produce, and Georgia-made goods, and support the co-op while we work toward the full store. During this time, we also updated our Vision, Mission, and Values through community surveys and owner workshops. The foundation is set.
2026
What's Next?
With 415+ owners, we’re completing an updated market study, launching our Site Search Committee, and forming our Fundraising Committee. The next milestone is 500 owners. Then we find our site. Then we launch the capital campaign. We’re building more than a grocery store. We’re building a place for neighbors to gather, for local producers to thrive, and for our community to own something together.
Meet Our Board Of Directors
Our Board of Directors is annually elected by our member-owners. Meet the dedicated group of volunteers helping guide Market 166’s future!
Opal Baker
Opal Baker is a persistent force for change in East Point, working at the vital intersection of...
Lillian Austin
Lillian Austin has been an Atlanta native for almost 50 years. She is a product of the...
Dolly Evans
Dolly Evans is a retired entrepreneur, having formed and led a tax and accounting practice whose specialty...
