OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Angela Chase, the owner of a local market called Flora Bodega, is forging a new path towards food access and community service in the heart of Oklahoma City.
According to a study done by the CDC in 2023, Oklahoma ranks among the worst in the nation when it comes to food insecurity, 45th for child food insecurity and 46th for overall food insecurity. Flora Bodega is working to bridge the gap between local foods and food access in the city.
Nearly 25% of Oklahomans benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program according to OSU Extension. Flora Bodega accepts EBT payments on qualifying groceries like fresh produce, which local growers often supply. Stone fruits, such as peaches and plums, are easily sourced from within the neighborhood.
“For something like fruit to come in like that close, I feel like it was pretty special,” said Chase. Growing up, they would often pick wild onions, pears and mulberries from their grandparents’ front yard. This early experience inspired them to make food access a high priority in the bodega’s contributions.
Origins of Flora Bodega
Flora Bodega didn’t start with a pandemic pivot — it started with a dream back in 2007.
“I knew in 2007 that I wanted to do it,” Chase said. “By 2010, I was working at different places to build the skills I needed.”
That long-term vision, rooted in community, food access and purpose, slowly took shape. But when the pandemic hit, it forced the team to move faster than they had ever planned.
“There was always the intention to run a business,” she said. “I had a business plan. But the pandemic accelerated everything — faster than we could’ve planned or expected.”
What started as a personal journey quickly turned into a platform for others.
“We’ve helped a lot of local businesses get started,” they said. “It’s cool to see them develop their products, have fun, and hopefully become more financially independent.”
At its heart, Flora Bodega is about more than groceries — it’s about growing a local ecosystem where Black and marginalized makers thrive.
Community impact & food justice
Flora Bodega is giving the Paseo community a market that they feel is their own, but selling fresh, locally grown foods is only one aspect of Flora’s community impact.
The market also offers a free fridge and pantry as a means of boosting food access to those in need. On Wednesday evenings, volunteers pick up donations from grocery franchises such as Trader Joe’s to stock the public pantry.
The free pantry is made possible through volunteer work. On bigger pickup days, such as Thanksgiving week, multiple drivers deliver food to the pantry to help provide throughout the holiday season. Additionally, any and everyone is encouraged to donate pantry items whenever possible.
Chase’s open mindset when it comes to how we source food is one that is established in tradition. Before fast food drive-thrus and grocery mega-chains, feeding your family meant knowing how to grow, jar or trade for what you needed. Just a few generations ago, it wasn’t unusual for families to keep backyard gardens, swap produce with neighbors, and preserve food through canning — not as a trend, but as a necessity.
“We would jar and can stuff, pick mulberries and wild onions from my grandparents’ yard,” she said. “I think there is a collective consciousness shifting where people know, ‘Oh, we need that back.’”
Food as art, food as power
The Paseo District, which Flora calls home, is a thriving arts district filled with small gallery shops. Chase uses their culinary skills as a way to accent the craftsmanship of the surrounding neighborhood.
“We are in an art district and I feel like food is art… It’s part of the Paseo, part of us and how everything is art.” One challenge expressed by Chase is the ability to provide every shop item hyper-locally. “That, in and of itself, is not entirely sustainable,” they said.
As for social sustainability, local foods are not always more resilient, but can contribute to a sense of community and rural development, according to the NIH. However, this can lead to a limited selection of goods offered at local markets. Diversifying vendors and sources can increase economic benefits, in turn making a more profitable business.
From bodega to community care
In a state where nearly half of residents live in a food desert or depend on assistance to feed their families, Flora Bodega isn’t just a store — it’s a strategy. One rooted in cultural memory, shared ownership and radical care.
By combining ancestral practices with cooperative economics, Angela Chase and the Flora team are building more than a grocery model — they’re reclaiming what it means for Black and marginalized communities to control their own nourishment.
“We’re not just feeding people,” Chase said. “We’re helping them feed themselves.”
Flora Bodega stands as a living reminder in Oklahoma City—where broader conversations about equity often overlook food justice—that the fight for access isn’t about charity. It’s about power — and who gets to grow it.