In Providence's Armory District, where housing costs are climbing along with the neighborhood's enhanced appeal, a new Asian market is building a diverse customer base. The homemade shelves of the Messer Market, which opened July 1, are lined with Asian sauces, pickled delicacies, and noodles -- products that are commonly found in the kitchen cabinets of local Cambodian families. But the market's owners, Touch and Kim Chhay, are relying on more than just Asian customers for the success of their small business.

"Lots of Latinos come here," says Kim Chhay, who, with her husband came to Providence from Battambang, Cambodia in 1984. The Latino customers, along with blacks and whites, don't necessarily visit the market for the pickled young grapes or frozen octopus. They can buy such necessities as shampoo and paper towels, or they may stop in just for a cold drink. Kim Chhay offers another reason for why non-Asians frequent her store: "People go to [an Asian] restaurant, they like it, and they come here to try to make . . . fried rice, noodles, [or] stirfry."

The establishment of a third market within a roughly five-block area hasn't posed a problem for two other Armory District bastions, the Hudson Market, known for its enormous grinders, and the Eneida Market, a Latino store. Kim Carmichael, co-owner of the Hudson Market, and Caesar Woel, owner of the Eneida Market, say they haven't noticed any adverse effects on their business. "In New York," says Woel, "they have three or four markets on the same block." The new market is not so much a threat to the old markets as it is a benefit to the community as a whole, according to Carmichael. "The more commerce and business you create, the better off [the neighborhood] is," she explains.

The Chhays, who live with their five children above their store at Messer and Willow, say that most of their sales are staples such as vegetables, milk, and juice. Given the proximity of the other markets, why would someone choose the Messer Market over the others? "Sometimes they're [too] lazy to walk like two or three blocks," says Mr. Chhay with a laugh.

One section of the store, which is due to expand, is stocked with such Latino-oriented products as Goya beans and hot sauce. But the couple insists they're not trying to take customers away from the other markets. "If people want to come in, they come in. If they don't, I don't care," says Kim Chhay.

Although there are some signs of gentrification on the West Side, the opening of the Messer Market -- where people of various races and ethnicities can learn a good bok choy recipe and discover wasabi peas -- is a sign that the mixed demography of the Armory District remains alive and well.

Issue Date: October 4 - 10, 2002