In the four years since he bought Super Giant Foods in southwest Atlanta, Sam Goswami has watched with interest the habits of his customers — what they purchased and what they shunned, whether they arrived after a long bus ride or were dropped off by a neighbor.
He lords over the check-out line from a vast second-floor office window where he can tell which of them is planning a birthday party, what’s on their holiday menus and whether they have enough money or SNAP food stamps to buy everything they put in their carts.
What he has learned, he said, has been both startling and inspiring.
Super Giant Foods is the only supermarket in a four-mile radius, and the majority of its customers are poor. Goswami noticed they typically bought high-fat dairy products, sugary drinks, processed foods and nary a fresh fruit or vegetable.
“As I talked to them, I discovered they lacked education, particularly about healthy foods,” Goswami said. But he also discovered they were eager to learn.
