Local resident Becca Goossen saw a need in the community for fresh, quality foods and decided to fill it—specifically at 2413 Waters Avenue. Coming this spring, Goodfortune Market will specialize in made to order coffee and bagels and will also provide local grocery staples, prepared foods, and household items.
The location was an obvious fit for Goossen's vision, who remembers in December of 2022 and early January, 2023 seeing the building while walking around her neighborhood.
"I live on Waters Avenue and a little ways up from me is this building that was under construction and it was pretty well gutted, but there was a sign in the window about who to call for more inquiries."
The market is within walking distance of the Ardsley Park, Baldwin Park, and Live Oak neighborhoods. "I just knew that it was the spot. It's my neighborhood. I know these people. I know this place and I really wanted to see something happening on Waters Avenue. And I especially knew because I live in this neighborhood, that there is no appropriate food resource that's available," she said.
Creating a community friendly store for convenient daily shopping has been a few years in the making. "The process really started for me somewhere in 2021 when I started formally working on my business plan," Goossen said. "I had a lot of ideas. I also had a lot of experience in working in food industry and doing a lot of retail and product purchasing."
The market is next two other women-owned businesses—Cast & Grey Botanical and The Stacks Bookstore. "Both of those places are currently open and there's just kind of some whispers around the neighborhood about other buildings that are going to start getting developed. So I expect to see a lot of other fun neighbors coming soon."
At Goodfortune Market, Goossen hopes customers who come to her New York style bodega will become repeat customers. "The idea that you can stop in for a cup of coffee in the morning on your way to work or then again on your way home for a loaf of bread or for some forgotten toothpaste."
It's a grab and go model that will be quick and convenient. "We want to be, first and foremost, an appropriate food resource for fresh and quality food. But ultimately, we want to be a community friendly food store for convenient daily shopping."
Goossen sits on the Savannah Chatham Food Policy Council—a group of about 40 community members with a mission to provide equitable access to food supply systems, part of Healthy Savannah.
"Within a food supply chain, we are the market part of that and there are a lot of other collaborators in the community, from neighborhood people to farmers to master gardeners that are all collaborating together."
