Anabel's Grocery is a student-run nonprofit grocery store that provides fresh, nutritious, and affordable food to Cornell students. Through our store and educational programs, we provide information about the connection between quality food, health, justice, and sustainability. By collaborating with diverse student organizations and local food producers, our student-run, nonprofit food store is a learning lab dedicated to creating an equitable and ecologically-sound food system.
What We Do
What Our Customers Say
“I am vegetarian and have a lot of dietary issues. I'm also first-gen, low-income, and live off-campus without a car, so it is extremely difficult for me to meet my nutritional needs within my budget... As an Asian-American, the cultural spices and food from Ren's Mart mean literally the world to me...Cooking the food that reminds me of home makes me feel more at home at Cornell.”
“Anabel’s has been critical to my well-being. It has allowed me to be well-nourished with fresh farm ingredients that would be cost prohibitive to me otherwise. Thank you so much!”
"It is difficult to find groceries that are healthy, cheap, and convenient, but Anabel's bridges all 3 of those gaps. I also love the community within the store - shopping there makes me happy."
"Anabel’s is the only way I get to eat fresh produce while I am at Cornell."
"[Anabel’s] provides a wonderful sense of community at Cornell that’s essential for student wellbeing."
"Anabel's is the reason I chose Cornell!"
-Anonymous Shopper '26
What Our Vendors Say
“It is always a pleasure to be of service to the student team at Anabel’s Grocery! You are one of the highlights of our workweek and we enjoy engaging in community with such a vibrant organization!”
-Dee Baptist, Co-Owner of Fort Baptist Farm
“Our primary goal is to provide quality, sustainably produced food at a reasonable price. Working with Anabel’s allows us to reach a part of the community that otherwise might not have access to our product.”
-Christina Mead, Co-Owner of Wildflower Farm
“We really like working with Anabel’s because it addresses issues we care about: food security, local economy, regenerative and organic agriculture, and social entrepreneurship.”
-Liz Brown, Co-Owner of Wide Awake Bakery
"Anabel's was one of the first college grocery stores to give my cookies a chance! Everyone who I've worked with there has been extremely kind and they've spotlighted my business on multiple occasions, helping me grow. They exemplify the values I stand for and they're student run- much like how I started my business as a college student. I'm excited to continue providing them with delicious mission driven cookies for many semesters to come."
- Olivia (Via) Carpenter, Founder of Via's Cookies
"We at Gimme! Coffee love working with Anabel's Grocery and strengthening our relationship with Cornell students in our local community. Finding another way to connect with the population on the hill, while engaging with a like-minded strand of the food web has been very rewarding. And, we are always happy to provide Certified Fairtrade coffee to a grocery store who values justice throughout the food chain. The feedback and positivity has been greatly appreciated by all of us at Gimme!"
- Adam Morris, Business Development Manager at Gimme! Coffee
Our Campus Partners
(There are many more!)
Our Anti-Racist Action Grant
In 2020, a coalition of Cornell University students involved with Anabel’s Grocery, Cornell Students 4 Black Lives, Dilmun Hill Organic Farm, and the Hydroponics Club created the Anti-Racist Action Grant. Grounded in the belief that every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, deserves access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food, the grant was created to support student projects and organizations working on anti-racist initiatives to address the many systematic inequalities that persist on campus. On or off-campus organizations engaging in anti-racism work can apply for anywhere from $200-$500.
Where We Are
A Note on Governance
We are a not-for-profit social enterprise housed within The Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an independent, education-based nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with Cornell University. As a project of CTA, Anabel’s does not have separate legal standing and is required to uphold CTA’s policies and procedures as determined by the CTA Executive Director and the CTA board of directors. CTA’s board of directors is legally responsible for all our activities.