Food Rescue Grocery Store first opened in mid-December 2021 through a partnership involving the Prairie Oasis Senior Centre, the Brandon Food Council, and the John Howard Society. The concept was simple but impactful: rescue surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and make it available to local residents at affordable prices. As the program gained momentum, demand quickly outpaced its original space, leading to several relocations over the years.
The most significant move came in April 2024 when Food Rescue Grocery relocated to Brandon’s Town Centre at 800 Rosser Avenue. The organization celebrated its grand reopening on April 3, 2024, after outgrowing its previous location. By that time, the operation had already diverted more than 740,000 pounds of food from landfills while helping local families stretch increasingly strained grocery budgets. The community’s response to the Town Centre move was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Opening day generated more than 200 transactions, while shoppers lined up from the store entrance into the parking lot. Staff reported growing demand from seniors, families, and residents on fixed incomes who were looking for affordable grocery options amid rising food costs.
As demand continues to grow, Brandon Food Rescue is outgrowing its current location and is preparing for its next chapter. The organization will move into the former Prairie Oasis Centre building at 241 8th Street in downtown Brandon. According to BFR Manager Elizabeth Morrow, the new facility is intended to be much more than a discount grocery store. “We’re going to have a community space, we’re going to have a café where people can actually sit and have a coffee and chat. Eventually down the road we’ll have a community kitchen people can rent out and it will be a bookable space,” said Morrow. “So it’s really going to be more of a hub, a community hub more so than a grocery store.”
BFR Manager Elizabeth Morrow announces new location expected to open by mid September.
BFR will continue operating from its Town Centre location while renovations are completed at the new site. The organization expects the move to be completed by mid-September, marking another milestone in the evolution of a program that continues to combine food recovery, affordability, and community connection.
