What started as a community healing session after one of the most painful summers in recent history has now become one of the West Side’s most inspiring transformations. Austin Harvest—a youth-led fresh market in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood—is proof that with vision, teamwork, and a whole lot of heart, something beautiful can grow—literally—from the ashes.
Back in June 2020, following the murder of George Floyd and the global protests that followed, students from the By The Hand Club For Kids joined forces with local police, athletes, and community leaders to process what was happening—and more importantly, brainstorm real solutions. They weren’t just talking about change. They wanted to lead it.
Enter the idea: turn a looted liquor store into something good. Not just a fresh produce stand, but a symbol of hope. With the help of former Chicago Bears linebacker Sam Acho and design firm Present Future Architects, the crew pulled off something incredible: they transformed the site into an urban fresh market in just three weeks. Using a modified shipping container and cross-laminated timber mats, they brought the space to life.
Austin Harvest officially opened on August 24, 2020, as a seasonal pop-up. But this wasn’t just a one-summer thing. The market has been growing ever since—literally and figuratively—and recently celebrated the opening of its permanent brick-and-mortar location. Yep, that old liquor store is now a full-time community fresh market thanks to these visionary young folks.
Youth entrepreneur Alanna Choice put it best in an interview with Block Club Chicago: “The Austin community is a food desert. We realized that all of the grocery stores are either far away or very expensive, so we thought, let’s make it affordable and close by—and we did just that.”
And it’s not just about fruits and veggies. Through their partnership with By The Hand, Austin Harvest doubles as an immersive entrepreneurship training program. Students are learning how to run a business while literally changing lives in their own neighborhood.
The next step? Phase two is already in the works, with plans to enclose part of the site so Austin Harvest can operate all year long.
This is what community-driven change looks like. From protest to progress, Austin Harvest isn’t just feeding people—it’s inspiring the whole city.
