Birmingham’s new Fountain Heights grocery store is “Our version of Whole Foods”

On November 7, 2026, We All Eat Market, the first grocery store in the Birmingham Fountain Heights neighborhood in 70+ years, opened in front of a packed crowd of residents, community leaders and well-wishers.

During her speech, in sight of the fully stocked grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson enthusiastically declared:

“This is our version of Whole Foods!”

Amen Birmingham.

New grocery store built by the community

Birmingham’s newest grocery store was not built by some anonymous grocers from out-of-state, but literally from “hands in the dirt.” 

The brainchild of Fountain Heights Farms Cooperative (FHFC) co-founders and wife and husband, M. Dominique Villanueva and Christopher Gooden, the new grocery store supplies fruits and vegetables from 16 local Fountain Heights farm plots. The goal of the group is to have 119 plots by 2030. 

Addressing the crowd, Villanueva described why and how they built a grocery store and a movement from the ground up.

“Look at the people next to you. Look at this amazing, gorgeous building. For almost 70 years, you lived in Fountain Heights and you needed groceries, you had to leave. You had to find a ride or catch a bus, or take a long walk, or do without. 

But that ends today. This is not a store that came to Fountain Heights. This is a store from Fountain Heights. 

It started with one garden in our front yard and a handful of neighbors who decided that we were tired of waiting for someone else to feed our families. One garden became 16 farm spaces, and those plots became We All Eat a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program), the first in Alabama to be able to accept EBT and participate in the Double Bucks program. 

And now those boxes of produce have home on a shelf with a front door, in a neighborhood, with members in our community working here with us. That’s what cooperative work looks like. Nobody did this alone. We decided together, as neighbors and the people who lived right here that this is what our neighborhood needed, and this is what we were going to accomplish together.”

M. Dominique Villanueva, Co-founder of Fountain Heights Farms Cooperative

Villanueva also reminded the community that after the grand opening the community will need to spread the word about the new grocery store and support it year-round.

Where is We All Eat Market in Fountain Heights?

Here are the location and operating hours details:

• We All Eat Market: Website 
• Address: 1201 16th St N, Birmingham, AL 35204
• Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday – 7AM to 7PM; Sunday- 10AM to 7PM, Monday – Closed 

Can’t make it to Fountain Heights during the week? Inquire about the weekly delivery at (659) 284-0888

Freedom Harvest Apprenticeship: Paid urban farmer training in Birmingham

FHFC has also launched its Freedom Harvest Apprenticeship, a nine-month, paid, hands-on farmer apprenticeship that trains farmers and land stewards to lead production on urban farms right here in Birmingham. To learn more about the FHFC, visit www.fountainheightsfarms.com.