More Than a Market: How Public-Private Partnerships are Solving Food Insecurity

Located at 801 Cedar Street, Maurer’s Urban Market (MUM) serves the South Side of Madison, Wisconsin. This neighborhood has long been considered one of the city’s lower-income areas and is identified as food-insecure because its residents lack reliable transportation to access fresh, affordable food.

“Another grocer was closing, and the city wanted to find a solution so the area wouldn’t lose access to a full-service grocery store,” recalls Kristie Maurer, owner and operator of MUM. “They put out a request for a proposal for a grocer, and I responded.”

Maurer is a second-generation independent grocer with more than 15 years of experience in the grocery industry. Her father has experience working at various grocery stores when she was growing up. While her background is in risk management and mediation, she eventually joined him in the grocery business to gain hands-on operational experience.

This experience is what sets MUM apart. Maurer represents a different kind of operator who embodies traditional food retail as well as a willingness to adapt and evolve.

“Our business model as a family company has always been to figure out how to make it work and be as creative as possible with whatever space we had,” explains Maurer.

The market anchors the ground floor of a mixed-use, city-owned building with 140-income restricted housing units. Its presence strengthens food access by giving residents and local workers an affordable, walkable place to buy fresh food. While Maurer received an initial $3.8 million from the City of Madison, she knew firsthand that running a grocery store is a cash-intensive business, driven by perishable volatility, high equipment costs, and the constant risk of regulatory shifts.

Recognizing these realities, Maurer sought mission-aligned capital that understood both the complexity and importance of food retail. Financing for the project was made possible with support from America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (FARE Fund), a public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund on behalf of USDA Rural Development. The FARE Fund supported a loan that helped bring the store to life in a community where securing traditional financing can be difficult.

This project reflects a strong public-private partnership centered on shared goals of food access, equitable development, and community-serving infrastructure.

“I did everything to reduce friction for the store to be successful, and Reinvestment Fund has been critical to that effort,” says Maurer. “If I were a traditional retailer that just had the capital to build a store, prices would have to be set a certain way. But my partnership with Reinvestment Fund, the City of Madison and the HFFI Fare Fund allowed me to reduce the build-out operating costs, so the focus could be on building a store that is truly worthy of the community.”

When completed, the 23,479–square-foot MUM will be a full-service grocery store featuring fresh produce, meats, seafood, and prepared foods, alongside traditional dairy and bakery departments. By accepting SNAP, WIC and Healthy Benefits Cards, the store ensures affordability for lower-income households while filling a gap in an area the city has prioritized for over five years.

Maurer also brings a broader perspective to food retail—one grounded in knowledge and understanding.

“My vision is that food means different things to different people,” she says. “For some customers, it’s purely transactional. For others, it’s about culture, health, connection, or creativity. As an operator, I have to stay informed—understanding trends, nutritional awareness, sourcing, and community preferences—because food isn’t one-size-fits-all. Knowledge is what allows us to serve people well.”

Maurer’s operational philosophy is also distinct in its focus on community participation.

“If people in the community have limitations, that doesn’t preclude them from working,” Maurer says. “Whether they are a college kid, high schooler, or even a retiree looking for something to do. I welcome them because I can be fluid on the schedule.”

This flexibility creates accessible employment for nearby residents, offering both entry-level roles and clear advancement pathways within food retail. By prioritizing workforce participation near affordable housing and transit, MUM does more than just fill a gap in the market. It creates quality job opportunities in an area that needs them most.

The project is about more than just a grocery store; it is a vital piece of neighborhood infrastructure.  By pairing Reinvestment Fund’s mission-driven capacity with strong municipal support and leveraging financing made possible through the HFFI FARE Fund, MUM bridges the gap between financial feasibility and community need.

As MUM opens its door, it stands as the realization of Maurer’s unique vision, blending her practical operational expertise with a commitment to providing an accessible quality food experience to people. By improving food access, supporting local workforce participation, and stabilizing this area of Madison, the project serves as a clear blueprint for how thoughtful, public-private development can nourish a community from the ground up.