Family-owned grocery store open for nearly 90 years due to neighboring support

BATON ROUGE— A Black-owned grocery store that's been open for nearly 90 years in the Valley Park neighborhood is still serving its community.

Owen's Grocery Market and Deli was established as a grocery store in 1938, founded by David and Emma Owens, for residents of the neighborhood.

Owner and daughter Cynthia Owens-Green said she remembers the early days when servicing the Valley Park community.

"People would come down. We had where they could hook up their horses, and they would buy feed. Just a regular grocery store," Green said.

The store was in business during the Jim Crow era. Green said the business faced adversity.

"We kind of stayed in our own community, and there were times they had crosses burning in front of our store, but we still survived through it all," Green said.

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