SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Salt City Market is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, marking a milestone for the downtown Syracuse food hall that serves as a community hub and business incubator. The facility, which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen several of its original vendors expand into standalone restaurants across the city.
The market was developed by the Allen Family Foundation to provide a low-risk environment for entrepreneurs who lacked the resources to open traditional storefronts. In addition to the international food hall, the site features a grocery store, 26 mixed-income apartments, and office space for local non-profit organizations.
Latoya Ricks, who moved to the United States from Jamaica more than 20 years ago, is one of the original vendors who has seen her business expand. Ricks previously worked as a nurse in the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Health before opening Irma’s Island at the market. She recently opened a second standalone location, Irma’s Bistro, in the former Modern Malt space in Armory Square. “It’s a dream come true. And I get to live that moment,” Ricks said. “Not too many people are able to live out their dream. And I have been able to accomplish that.”…