The closing of F-Mart, Lawrence’s sole Asian grocery store, has highlighted a gap in Asian representation in Lawrence. However, the now-empty space has opened up the opportunity for a new concept. 

Olusoji Babalola, current owner of the African-Caribbean Grocery Store at 1530 W. Sixth St., plans to open a one-stop Afro-Asian shop.

Babalola had been planning on expanding the African-Caribbean Grocery Store to include more fresh produce, meat, fish, milk, eggs, and other perishable products so customers do not have to source their ingredients from additional stores. 

However, the closing of F-Mart, just blocks away at 530 Colorado St., presented both a convenient space and a chance to include Asian products as well. 

“We just want to make the place one place that people can come and get everything that they need,” Babalola said. 

A culturally diverse college town, Lawrence features a range of ethnic restaurants as well as local Hispanic, South Asian, and Afro-Caribbean grocery stores. Although some feel the town has increasingly embraced Asian culture over the past 20 years, others notice the absence of a local space for Asian groceries. 

Emmi Murao, an illustrator and designer currently based in Japan, grew up in Lawrence and painted a mural, “Cloudy with a Chance of Boba,” on the F-Mart building in 2023.

“When I think about what it was like growing up in Lawrence, there are a lot more options for Asian food now than there used to be,” Murao said, referencing the availability of Asian products at stores such as Checkers and Dillons. “It’s obviously not the same as having a dedicated Asian grocery store, but as immigrants, we’re used to making do with what’s available.” 

Murao shared fond childhood memories of traveling to Asian grocery stores in Overland Park, about a 40-minute drive from Lawrence. These spaces gave Murao a sense of comfort and identity that she struggled to find in Lawrence, where the Asian community is smaller.

“I hope people in Lawrence, especially immigrant kids, can still find spaces that give them that sense of familiarity and belonging as well,” Murao said. 

Although big-box stores in Lawrence have started carrying more Asian products, the environment is not always accepting. 

Lulu He, an international student from China studying at KU, said she recently had a racist experience while she was at a checkout lane at the Dillons on Iowa Street.

He was on the phone with a friend while a white woman in front of her kept pushing He’s groceries away from hers on the conveyor belt. He said the woman gave her a disgusted look before turning to a man next to her and saying, “These people always do this.” 

Now, He said she tries to get her shopping done at stores such as Dillons and Target as quickly as possible. 

He also pointed out that having easy access to foods from Asian cultures helps to mitigate culture shock for international students. 

“Food means memory for us,” she said. “At a totally new country for some students, they can find some loneliness in Lawrence.” 

He orders Asian groceries from apps such as Weee! and Yami or carpools with friends on weekends to Asian grocery stores in Overland Park. However, He pointed out the inconvenience of wanting to cook something during the week and not having quick access to certain ingredients to do so. 

This gap in convenience is one of the issues Babalola hopes his new business can address. 

Babalola also envisions for the Afro-Asian store to create more representation, especially for international students and Lawrencians who travel out of town for groceries. 

“It will give them the ability to shop within Lawrence,” Babalola said. “That will bring them to their roots.”

Although Babalola is still in the process of securing a loan for the business, he hopes to open the store this year. 

An owner of F-Mart confirmed the store had closed but could not be reached for further comment.

Hannah Loub (she/her), reporting intern with The Lawrence Times since January 2026, is a journalism and global and international studies major at the University of Kansas. She is currently the lead digital producer for KUJH and worked as a beat reporter for the University Daily Kansan. Read her work for the Times here.

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