Thorntons opens first nonprofit community store in west Louisville with goal of giving back
Thorntons has opened its first nonprofit location in west Louisville under the message of being a store with a mission to give back to the community.
It's located inside the new Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center, an effort jumpstarted by the Louisville Urban League.
The new Thorntons convenience store marks the 38th location in the Louisville metro. But this store in particular is the first of its kind, ready to feature products by local minority business owners.
Sadiqa Reynolds, Urban League president and CEO, said Thorntons CEO Simon Richards reached out to her organization and asked what he could do to help the community.
Thorntons is pledging to uplift and provide opportunity to people often left behind.
"Our commitment is to recruit from this neighborhood to man our stores with people from this neighborhood and use it as a way into Thorntons for the local people," Richards said.
The store will operate as a sustainable not-for-profit venture that will be open seven days a week. The caveat is that the store will feature products from local minority-owned businesses like Georgia's Sweet Potato Pie Company.
The entire venture is just the type of change Reynolds had in mind as she raised millions to build the Norton Sports and Learning Center. Now the focus turns to long-term opportunities for those who live in west Louisville by getting other companies like Thorntons to put their money where their mouth is.
The compassion will also lead to jobs and growth as the new store will serve as a community recruitment gateway in the wider network of Thornton stores.
Check out the video above to hear more about the new store.