Fare & Square at 3117 West 9th Street, Chester, Pennsylvania.

This place is disgusting.

I went here because it was advertised as a low budget grocery option for low income households, sponsored by the non profit Philabundance, with a focus on healthful eating.

You're supposed to sign up and if you qualify in a low income bracket, you get 3% back in "carrot cash" to spend on future visits, and you have access to fresh, free produce.

I got there and there was no one staffing the front desk/membership area. I stood there for nearly ten minutes. I tried to get the attention of some of the women working in the checkout aisle and they were completely ambivalent. They just shrugged me off.

Finally a man who appeared to be a manager happened to come by, and I told him I'd been waiting. He tracked down a woman who was very nice, but basically said their computer system was malfunctioning. They could sign me up but my card wouldn't work so I wouldn't get my 3% back that day. She did sign me up, but it took absolutely forever.

Then I went shopping, and it was just pathetic. 50% of what they have is off brand, and 75% of what they have is just garbage food. Nothing healthy or fresh about it.

On top of that, the prices are outrageous. Everything is full manufacturer retail price, with VERY FEW exceptions.

I wound up spending just over $91 for a few bags of groceries. If I had gone to WalMart or Grocery Outlet, I would have gotten 3X the items for less money.

On top of that, the free "fresh" produce was disgusting. I had a choice of rotting zucchinis, cucumbers that were just BARELY serviceable, some individual serving baggies of baby carrots, or kale that looked like it was ready to liquefy. Oh, and boxes of apples that HAD turned liquid. Literally, the apple peel was just holding in liquid content. You could squeeze the apples like a wet sponge.

This place is no service to people who are desperate for accessible, healthy, inexpensive groceries. It should be shut down.