West Philadelphia Entrepreneur Turns Drug Corner Into Community Produce Staple
June 14, 2026 | By Mzee Kambui | Abstract World Media
For more than 15 years, West Philly Produce has been a staple in the Cobbs Creek section of West Philadelphia, transforming what owner Arnett Woodall describes as “a heroin and crack lot run by drug dealers” at 62nd and Ludlow Street into a neighborhood grocery hub. Founded by the longtime resident with help from his son, Devontae Gray, the store emerged in a community that Woodall says was “a food desert, with no grocery stores in the immediate area.”
Woodall grew up in Cobbs Creek and graduated from West Philadelphia High School before working as a disciplinarian at Slaten Farms, a juvenile detention facility in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. “One of my students went on to become the famous rapper Beanie Sigel,” he recalls. Drawing on that experience mentoring young people, he built West Philly Produce as a workplace for young adults and teenagers, creating paid opportunities for neighborhood youth.
In the early 2000s, Woodall began constructing the store at 62nd and Ludlow using his own company, A&W Community Solutions, INC. Today, West Philly Produce hires only young adults and teenagers, including twins Abraham and Jacob, and offers a range of fresh options, from sea moss, watermelons, kiwis, strawberries, and holistic fruits and vegetables to staples such as water ice and pretzels.
Before West Philly Produce opened its doors, the corner of 62nd and Ludlow was a known drug lot in the 1990s, where heroin and crack were sold. “This was a heroin and crack lot run by drug dealers and I ran them all out,” Woodall says. “And we did it without the help of the police or city of Philadelphia.” In place of the open-air drug market, he built a storefront dedicated to fresh food and community safety.
On February 12, 2013, the City of Philadelphia recognized Arnett Woodall as a hero after he pulled 62-year-old Sharon Davis from her burning car at 62nd and Market Streets, following a seizure she suffered while driving.
Woodall continues to run West Philly Produce alongside his son, Devontae Gray, who helped build the store from the ground up and supports its day-to-day operations. Together, they have turned a once dangerous corner into a gathering place centered on healthy food, employment for young people, and a vision for what community-led change can look like in West Philadelphia.
West Philly Produce is located at 62nd and Ludlow St, Philadelphia, PA 19151.
Photos by Kambui M (2026), Abstract World Media. City of Philadelphia citation photo included. All photos original to Abstract World Media.
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