NEW BEDFORD — A new market has opened in the downtown area named after the daughter of owner Lita Noppawan Sawang, offering a new market with a variety of niche specialty, organic and innovative products that customers might not find in large chain grocery stores.
Located at 212 Union St., Metta Market offers a refreshing twist on the traditional convenience store experience. As also the owner of Spicy Lime at 522 Pleasant St., Sawang said opening the market has been a dream in the making.
“It’s been just in my head for years. When I saw this place was empty, I figured out why not try it,” she said.
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What to expect to find inside the market
One of the standout features of Metta Market is its carefully curated selection of products.
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“I have stuff like a soup dumpling. It’s really delicious,” Sawang said. Additionally, other products include joyful waffles, specialty ice creams, and Jesse and Ben’s products as well as glass bottled milk by Tallow Grace.
While the market doesn’t yet carry local New Bedford brands, Sawang is supportive of the local scene, sourcing some produce from regional farms through Coastal Foods, a nonprofit connecting farmers with buyers.
“It’s very convenient, so you don’t have to go to the farm, because the farm doesn’t know where to go to sell besides farmer markets,” she said.
Offering a new type of market to downtown New Bedford
Sawang envisions Metta Market as more than just a store but a place that showcases a vibrant selection of foods while maintaining a minimalist, vintage-modern aesthetic.
“I would like to cater to a niche market … people that want this kind of stuff because there’s nothing like this around here,” she said.
Originally from Thailand, she moved to San Francisco in 1999, and lived there for five years before relocating to Rochester. It was here that she first opened her Thai restaurant Spicy Lime in 2006.
“Right now, we only do takeout and delivery, no dining since COVID,” she said.
Opening officially on Jan. 17, Sawang hopes customers find joy in exploring new products at the market as more come in over the next few weeks.
“I call myself a fun food shop … snack stuff and specialty [items],” she said.
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Metta Market is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Sawang said she plans to be there every day to help anyone and share with them her experiences with all the products, which she’s tried herself.
“I would like people to stop by, to say hi, check it out,” she said.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
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