Business & Economy

Cairo, Illinois has a grocery store for the first time in seven years

WSIU Public Broadcasting | By Benjy Jeffords

Published June 19, 2023 at 6:54 PM CDT

Rise Community Market ribbon cutting — Community members cut the ribbon to open Rise Community Market in Cairo, Illinois Friday morning. The southern Illinois city went seven years without a grocery store prior to Rise's opening.

Cairo has spent seven years without a grocery, until Friday morning. Rise Community Market is now open after months of renovations.

Rise Community Market opened their doors to the City of Cairo Friday morning.

Cairo has officially removed the status of being a food desert.

Friday morning community stakeholders and state legislators held a ribbon cutting to open the doors to Rise Community Market.

CO-OP Board President Gabrielle Harris says the grocery Rise is the first for Cairo to move in the right direction.

“A co-op is about community. Community buy in so individuals from this community has an opportunity to play a part of something great. To have a grocery store or to be a grocery store. Dessert. This adds value to how people can move in the future.”

Cairo has spent the last seven years without a grocery store forcing residents to drive around 30 minutes to the closet store.