Pontiac Street Market, as you might guess, is on Pontiac Street. While it’s not technically Downtown, it’s a short 5-minute drive or 10-minute bike ride, and it’s conveniently located near public transit—making it an easy stop for those who work, live, or play Downtown.
Ease of access is an important element of the market’s origin story. The Pontiac Street Market is a private-public partnership, formed with support from the City of Fort Wayne and Parkview Health. The goal? Address the community’s food insecurity.
Downtown Fort Wayne and the southeast side of Fort Wayne (where the market resides) have long been designated food deserts—areas where residents lack easy access to affordable, nutritious food. A local full-service market was an answer to the community’s cry.
At Pontiac Street Market, you can shop for fresh produce, deli items, baked goods, pantry staples, hygiene products, and made-to-order, handcrafted subs and salads through the market’s SubConnection. You can even order catering. It’s a one-stop shop burrowed in a beautiful historic building, adorned with bright murals—a real feel-good environment.
It’s that environment that makes the market special. It harkens back to the days when neighborhood establishments thrived. A point in time when you were on a first-name basis with your grocer. A place where neighborly chit-chat filled the halls.
Pontiac Street Market is a community within a community. It’s not just a place to get your groceries or grab your lunch. The market hosts free events all year round, including wellness checks, yoga classes, cookouts, holiday giveaways, diaper drives, family activities, and more. It even serves as a bridge between communities with its “Coffee with a Cop” event, where neighbors can get to know members of the police department.
The benefits of this community-minded market go on and on. In addition to offering a gathering space, they also offer the Double Up program for people who receive SNAP benefits. This means that recipients can get produce at 50% off—making healthy eating easier for low income families and individuals.
If all this wasn’t enough, the Pontiac Street Market is now offering free grocery delivery to anyone within the Fort Wayne city limits—making food access even easier, no matter what side of town you live.
So whether you live or work Downtown, you can get your groceries delivered for FREE by shopping on the Pontiac Street Market app or by using their online ordering system. And right now, there are some extra incentives to take advantage of Pontiac Street Market’s free delivery service:
- You can use the code PONTIAC10 to receive 10% off your first order
- When you order, you’ll be entered to win a $50 Downtown Fort Wayne gift card (powered by Yiftee—read more about it in our past Yiftee blog) that’s redeemable at over 40 Downtown restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. See the full list of participating locations here.
Drawings will be made weekly for the next 20 weeks. To be entered, all you need to do is place your order digitally and get your groceries delivered for free.
Downtown Fort Wayne is proud to partner with Pontiac Street Market for this promotion. To learn more about the Pontiac Street Market or shop their selection, visit their website
Molly Conner is a Fort Wayne native and freelance writer. Having lived in Downtown Fort Wayne throughout her twenties, she loves watching her stomping grounds grow. With her love of storytelling and community in tow, she’s eager to tell Downtown Fort Wayne’s story piece-by-piece—exploring the people, spaces, and organizations that make it thrive.