The project 

For years, The Food Bank team dreamed of finding a new home for the organization’s Central Pantry. Now, a new location on Business Loop 70 W is allowing the operation to expand even further with increased cold storage and warehouse room, space for nutrition education and visiting services, a healthcare tenant and more. Operations officially moved from Central Pantry to The Food Bank Market on November 1, 2023.

The need for The Food Bank Market

The Market offers many advantages for our community and for the entirety of The Food Bank’s 32-county service area.

This larger and better-equipped facility improves access to food and other services and offers our team the opportunity to pilot strategies that reduce stigma, improve the neighbor experience and provide support that can help neighbors lift themselves into food security. The Market acts as a hub for sharing food and best practices that will scale across our service area with the help of our hundreds of partner agencies and school partners as well as Feeding America collaborators.

The Food Bank is excited for this space to refine an innovative model for food security that will inform hunger action across Missouri and beyond. Learn more about The Food Bank Market by viewing our video tour or reviewing the project case statement.

Construction Tour and Photos

Project Timeline

• Spring 2021 - The Food Bank purchases a location (ABC 17, Columbia Daily Tribune, KOMU, KRCG and The Missourian)

• Fall 2021 - Veterans United Foundation gifts $750,000 in support (Columbia Daily Tribune, KOMU, KRCG and The Missourian)

• Summer 2022 - Go COMO announces bus stop near new Central Pantry location (Columbia Daily Tribune)

• Winter 2022 - Renovation begins

• Spring 2023 -

  • The Food Bank receives $1.625 million Community Revitalization Grant (press release from Office of the Governor)

  • The Food Bank announces Compass Health Network as building tenant (Compass Health Network, KOMU, KRCG and The Missourian).

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield makes $360,000 pledge and commits to ongoing health education collaboration (Columbia Daily Tribune and KRCG).

• Summer 2023 - Kickoff of the public phase of the capital campaign, announcement of name The Food Bank Market.

• October 21, 2023 - Central Pantry closes and services move to The Market. Mobile pantries run during move to new facility.

• November 1, 2023 - The Food Bank Market opens to neighbors and serves more than 11,000 people through shops in the first month. This number does not include neighbors who were served through the Sharing Room, box pickup and visiting services.

• Spring 2024 - Grand opening to celebrate three years since the purchase of The Food Bank Market location.