In This Issue Register Today! Healthy Food, Healthy ... · Free parking available in LATTC lot on west side of Olive Street between Washington & 21st street. No permit needed. HOW

In This Issue

-- "Healthy Food, Healthy Businesses:" Sign up for the FREE

Second Annual Business & Leadership Development

Training for Neighborhood Market Operators (9/07)

-- Storeowner Spotlight: Read the story of Healthy Neighborhood Market Network member store

Supermercado Latino, and manager Brad Min

-- How to Get Involved in the storeowner training (even if you're not a storeowner!)

Register Today! "Healthy Food, Healthy Businesses"

Storeowner Training (9/07/13)

( Leer en Español )

( 한글로 읽으세요 )

The Los Angeles Food Policy Council's

Healthy Neighborhood Market Network

training for neighborhood market

operators is only a few weeks away!

The "Healthy Food, Healthy

Businesses" training on Saturday,

September 7, 2013, will take place

from 9AM to 5PM at LA Trade Tech

College.

This training presents a full day of

expert speakers, skill-building workshops, and networking opportunities for independent market

owners and their staff. Whether you operate a convenience store or neighborhood market, this

event will provide you with technical assistance, resources and connections needed to upgrade

your business and successfully introduce healthy food products at your store. Keep reading for

how to register yourself or your staff to attend!

At this training, you will have achance to:

▪ Learn how to grow your business

▪ Discover strategies to attract new customers

▪ Talk to produce distributors

▪ Get advice from government agencies

▪ Explore exhib its by food product vendors

▪ Enjoy a FREE organic lunch

▪ Learn how to be a Healthy Food Champion in

your community!

EVENT DETAILS

This event is FREE for market owners, managers and staff, and non-profit friends. Registration

fee will apply to all other participants.

LOCATION

Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LA Trade Tech)

400 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015

DATE

Saturday, September 7, 2013 (9/07/2013)

TIME

9AM - 5PM. Lunch is provided for registered attendees.

LANGUAGE

This event will be accessible to English, Spanish and Korean speakers.

PARKING

Free parking available in LATTC lot on west side of Olive Street between Washington & 21st

street. No permit needed.

HOW TO REGISTER

Register by August 30 (8/30) to enjoy a free organic lunch!

You can register for this training in one of three ways:

By Phone: 323 - 452 - 3890

By Email: [email protected]

On Eventbrite: neighborhoodmarkets2013.eventbrite.com

DOWNLOAD THE FLIER

Share information about the September 7 training with your friends and colleagues! Download

and print the event flier in:

English | Spanish | Korean

Storeowner Spotlight

As a special feature, in this

issue we interviewed a

storeowner who is active in

the Healthy Neighborhood

Market Network (HNMN) --

Brad Min, manager of

Supermercado Latino in

South Los Angeles. Brad

attended our first

storeowner training in July

2012 and has been a

passionate and vocal

participant in the network

ever since. By

recommendation from the

HNMN, Supermercado

Latino received free energy

efficient lighting

installments from the

Department of Water and

Power in May of this year.

His store, Supermercado

Latino, was featured in a

press conference with

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, announcing the start of the new DWP Small Business Direct Install

energy efficiency program. Read on to learn a little bit of Brad Min’s story, how he came to work at

Supermercado Latino, and his vision for the future.

Store DBA: Supermercado Latino

Address: 1049 W. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Store Manager: Brad Min

Tell us a little bit about your store.

BM: My uncle, Seung Hwan Koo, is the owner of Supermercado Latino. He has been operating

the store for 13 years now. As manager of the market I have been working here for 7 years. I am

originally from Vancouver. I had to start from scratch, with no business background when I came

to Supermercado Latino, but actually it is exciting to be learning new things on the job.

How would you describe your business, and its role in the community?

BM: Our role is to provide healthier food to the community, at good prices. It’s what the

Community Market Conversion program encourages to happen at other neighborhood stores.

What do you see in the future for Supermercado Latino?

BM: My uncle's vision is to expand the store to multiple locations in Los Angeles. Other than that

long term goal, what I want to see is a fresh and clean market with good graphic design.

What would you say are the strengths of your market?

BM: Our biggest strength is customer service. Most of our customers are locals who we’ve known

for years. They are loyal to us because they know we are not about the money. We are also able

to provide more variety of healthy foods than other local stores. But what makes us competitive as

a business is our reputation. We pay our employees well, we don’t sell alcohol or tobacco, and

we work hard to offer fresh, affordable, healthy food. We follow the law and try to love our

neighbors through our business. We may not be as financially profitable as we could be, but the

way we do it works for us. It is possible.

What challenges does Supermercado Latino face?

BM: It is hard to compete with bigger markets nearby. Ralphs and Fresh and Easy have better

relationships with equipment vendors and food distributors and always get a better price point

than we do. Another issue is access to funds. Technology like POS systems, machinery,

refrigeration is so expensive. We don’t have a POS system at Supermercado Latino. Access to

knowledge is also needed. As a beginner to business, I did some research on my own of food

retail strategies online, and by going to Trader Joe’s and other markets to observe the sales and

marketing tools they use. Not everyone would be able to do what I did. The Healthy Neighborhood

Market Network meets this need with its business development trainings.

What do you think is the most important thing the Community Market Conversion program

and the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network trainings do -- or should do -- for

storeowners?

BM: In general we storeowners need a clearer route and access to the best and most

competitively priced vendors of seafood, produce, and more. We want to know what is available,

including alternatives to Unified Grocers. I am also curious about the plastic bag ban and other

resources, like the Department of Water and Power solar panel installation program.

Thank you to Brad Min for granting us this interview! We wish you great success as a

neighborhood grocer, and hope to continue supporting your business through the Healthy

Neighborhood Market Network.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN THE STOREOWNER TRAINING

(Even if you're not a storeowner!)

As an interested LA resident, you play

an important role in making this

training a success.

INVITE YOUR LOCAL MARKET

OWNER

Help us get the word out! Share

information about the September 7

training with YOUR local market, and

show them you care about healthy

food options. You can print out the

training flier, attached above, and

hand it to your neighborhood store

owner.

LANGUAGE RESOURCE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Healthy Food, Healthy Businesses neighborhood market training is designed to be

language accessible for store owners and staff who speak Spanish or Korean as a primary

language. We need Language Resource Volunteers who speak Spanish, Korean, or both, to

make sure everyone gets where they need to go! Time commitment will include 9-5PM at the

September 7 training and 6-8PM on August 28th (8/28) for a Language Resource Volunteer

Orientation. Contact Esther at [email protected] if you are interested and available.

QUESTIONS?

Email us: Talk to Spanish speaking staff (Clare) - [email protected]

Talk to Korean speaking staff (Esther) - [email protected]

Ask about the Community Market Conversion Program - [email protected]

Ask about the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network - [email protected]

LAFPC Office: 200 N. Spring St. City Hall, Suite 1725. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Phone: 213-978-1568

ABOUT US

The Healthy Neighborhood Market Network

is a project of the Los Angeles Food Policy

Council that connects independent food

retailers, community groups and residents in

order to revitalize neighborhood markets as

community serving healthy food retailers.

“The Network” is a resource for store owners

to build skills, access resources and grow as business professionals. The Healthy

Neighborhood Market Network training series is generously supported by Citi Community

Development and the JIB Community Building Initiative.

Click the logo to learn more about the Community Market Conversion

program and the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network.

Check out our previous trainings, resources, and see if the CMC program is

a good fit for your neighborhood market.

communitymarketconversion.org

The Los Angeles Food Policy Council is the home of the Community Market Conversion

program. Read about the LAFPC priorities, accomplishments, and find out how you can make an

impact in Los Angeles.

goodfoodla.org

The Los Angeles Food Policy Council hosts the Good Food Pledge, with

practical ways you can support the Good Food movement in Los Angeles

through your relationship to food.

Sign the pledge today!

©2014 Los Angeles Food Policy Council | 200 North Spring Street, Suite M125 | Los Angeles, CA 90012

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