Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos Cuts Ribbon On New Providence Grocery Store
Published on Friday, October 02, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos today joined local grocer Fredi Cueva and CEO of America’s Food Basket David Siegal to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the America’s Food Basket of Academy Avenue. The store has been in development for over a year and provides a new full-sized supermarket that will serve residents of multiple Providence neighborhoods which have been designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as low-income/low-access areas.
“Our best guard against food inflation is a competitive marketplace with plenty of choices for all Rhode Islanders. By helping independent, local grocers open in our underserved neighborhoods, we are helping consumers and boosting our economy by keeping our dollars circulating within our communities, rather than being extracted by big corporations,” said Lieutenant Governor Matos. “We are doing everything, from passing landmark legislation to helping businesses with SNAP applications, to make Rhode Island the best state in the country for independent grocers to invest and grow.”
"Opening a supermarket takes a lot of work, commitment, and cooperation, and we're excited to open our doors with a third location in the Providence market," said America's Food Basket CEO David Siegal. "A supermarket is much more than a building full of groceries. It's a place where families can shop, neighbors can see one another, and communities come together. Today, we're proud to add Academy Avenue to the family of America's Food Basket."
America’s Food Basket of Academy Avenue is a locally-owned, independent grocery store and a member of the America’s Food Basket supermarket cooperative. It is also a member of the National Supermarket Association, which established its New England headquarters in downtown Providence in 2024.
Tomorrow, the Lieutenant Governor will cut the ribbon on a second National Supermarket Association-affiliated grocery store in Providence in as many days. The Lieutenant Governor's office has supported the opening of these new stores by helping grocers navigate city, state, and federal paperwork. The office is continuing to work with municipal leaders and more independent grocers to identify potential development sites and draw new business to Rhode Island. To date, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has not spent a penny of taxpayer money on economic development incentives or other subsidies for these businesses, focusing instead on developing self-sustaining grocers that can compete in the free market.
Increasing competition among grocery stores is a critical hedge against inflation; a 2026 paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that areas with fewer competing grocery stores experienced faster, higher, and more persistent inflation. In addition to her work with the National Supermarket Association, the Lieutenant Governor has introduced the Fair Price Grocery Agenda, a package of legislation aimed at fighting inflation and supporting independent food businesses; national observers have hailed the legislation as a “major step towards lowering grocery bills.”
America’s Food Basket is a cooperative of independent grocers located in New York, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. At its inception in 2007, the cooperative started with just three stores and has now grown to 90 stores under the banners of Ideal Food Basket & America’s Food Basket.
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