Canino Produce Market has been a Heights-area institution for many years, and alarm bells went off recently when rumors began to swirl that the market was being sold. Well, times, they are a changing, but maybe not as much as you might think. The market is indeed changing hands and there will be some upgrades made, but it will remain a farmer’s market and there are no plans for it to close anytime in the foreseeable future.
When you think of a farmer’s market, you might picture a bunch of yuppies sipping lattes while pushing baby strollers laden with gluten-free baguettes and organic rainbow chard. Canino Market is not that kind of farmer’s market. The 18-acre market focuses on traditional produce sold at bargain prices, with a wide variety of offerings geared toward a Hispanic demographic, like nopales, Mexican handicrafts, and hot sauces.
MLB Capital Partners, the group that acquired Canino Market, plans future upgrades to parking, bathrooms, and general sprucing up of the dated and decaying facilities. The company hopes to make the spot more of a weekend destination, potentially adding a meat market, bakery, and brewery. There’s even been talk of food trucks and live music. Like all manner of gentrification, this process is sure to be fraught with controversy between Heights residents who want everything to stay the same and those who think it would be nice to be able to buy their quail eggs and small-batch preserves without driving to a suburban farmer’s market. Only time will tell what the future holds for Canino Market, but we are very happy to hear that it won’t be getting bulldozed to become a strip mall.
If you haven’t ever been to Canino Market, check it out before it changes! The market is located at 2520 Airline Drive.