SIOUX FALLS (SD) KELO- Access to healthy and affordable groceries is essential for any community.

With a Hy-Vee on Kiwanis Avenue in Sioux Falls closing its doors today, food availability is in focus.

Kristen Johnson of Sioux Falls explains that these concerns prompted one of the Multicultural Center’s leaders to come up with the idea of a monthly pop-up grocery store.

“Kadyn reached out and said, hey I had this brain child, how about let’s work together and like, see if we can reach more people, because I love what you’re doing and what you’re offering,” Kristen Johnson said.

The pop-up store will have reduced prices on name-brand groceries and toiletries provided by Fair Market, an organization started 8 months ago by Kristen and her husband Greg Johnson.

“A lot of people who use the Multi-Cultural Center in Sioux Falls need options for groceries, and so we are going to try bringing a bunch of our product to the entrance there and setting up a single day pop up shop,” Kristen Johnson said.

Fair Market’s goal is to help keep food out of landfills and provide reasonably-priced food for customers.

“Perfectly good and safe food sold at a significant discount back to us,” Greg Johnson said.

That food, in turn, is sold to the community.

“And then we pass those savings on to folks and help get brand names into people pantries,” Greg Johnson said.

The pop-up store will be coming in February to the Multi-Cultural Center in downtown Sioux Falls. If it succeeds, the Johnsons hope to open more locations throughout the city.

To check out Fair Market’s Facebook page click here.