The scent of roasted meat greets the nose inside Hollins Market. Plump salmon rests upon sparkling ice cubes. A shiny counter waits to be filled with fresh produce.
Officials cut the ribbon on the $2.1 million Hollins Market renovation Tuesday, ushering in a new chapter in the public market’s nearly 200 year-old history. They hope it will be a critical resource for residents in the Hollins Market neighborhood and surrounding Poppleton, Pigtown and Union Square.
Cat Miller, who lives near the B&O Railroad Museum, just a couple of blocks from the historic market, has been relying on Family Dollar since her car got totaled a few months ago.
“The food there is obviously not healthy or fresh and so it's really great to have this open,” said Miller. “It’s especially difficult if you don’t have a car and a lot of the people here are also in the lower income bracket.”
The Hollins Market neighborhood and next door Poppleton are USDA food deserts. Five of the new stalls, including a grocery and dry goods pantry, will accept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps.
The stalls include the following:
- Freshly Seafood serving fresh fish and some prepared dishes
- Nafasi Catering, which serves prepared rotating seasonal dishes using local ingredients
- K's Chicken with chicken prepared different ways
- MikksKakes, featuring baked goods like cupcakes
- Lauman's Quality Meats, a butcher stand
- A pop-up stand with rotating local vendors and a focus on emerging entrepreneurs of color, that is sponsored by the West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation.
- The Market Cafe and The Market at Hollins will offer fresh fruits, vegetables, pantry staples and dry goods, including household items like detergent.
“Through this renovation, we restored a building, we took a big step forward in restoring trust to trust in our neighborhoods and trust in the power of community to shape its own future,” said Mayor Brandon Scott before the ribbon cutting ceremony.
It’s that same community that is giving Chef Maynard McMillan optimism and excitement for this next step in his career with Nafasi Catering.
“It’s been an unbelievable time so far, we’re getting a lot of great feedback and we’re looking forward to making a great impactful by offering healthy dining alternatives at an approachable rate,” said McMillan, whose background is in Japanese fine dining. The fun part, and challenge, as he describes it, is offering something new while also offering dishes locals find familiar.
He’s doing something right. Before the 1:30 p.m. ceremony begins, he’s already sold out of oxtail.
