How one Angeleno built a health-conscious oasis in L.A.'s food desert

Food insecurity plagues South L.A., where many residents don’t consistently have enough food and many lack access to more healthful options.

Olympia Auset opened Süprmarkt, a nonprofit organic grocer on Slauson Avenue, after starting it as a pop-up in 2016, serving underserved South L.A. residents.

The nonprofit celebrates Black culture and community wellness through an Afrocentric marketplace where customers discover new ways to think about food and healthcare.

Olympia Auset’s route to opening a health food emporium in one of the food deserts of Los Angeles started with her own trips to the grocery store.

It was 16 years ago. Auset was fresh out of college and living on a vegan diet. Her neighborhood largely lacked healthful options, and she wound up commuting two hours round-trip by