Aaron “A.J.” Johnson’s voice began to crack Wednesday when he recalled the unrelenting skepticism that greeted his Oasis Fresh Market concept. 

“So many people said it will never happen,” said Johnson, founder and owner of the Black-owned grocery franchise, first established in 2021 at 1725 N. Peoria Ave. “(They said,) ‘A.J., you will fail. They will rob you blind in north Tulsa. You’ll never succeed.’ 

“We heard that time and time and time again. And we still made a decision to keep going. We still made a decision to put people first.” 

In front of more than 100 people, Johnson celebrated the grand opening of his latest venture, an Oasis Fresh Market on the ground floor of the ARCO apartment building, 119 E. 6th St. 

It is Oasis’ fourth Tulsa location and the first full-service grocery store downtown in more than a decade. 

“Tulsa is an incredible group of individuals, businesses (and) partners who come together,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s during the pandemic, whether it’s during the government shutdown, whether it’s during a storm, Tulsa finds a way to serve people. That is the mission of Oasis.” 

Oasis was established to address food deserts and make healthy food more accessible. The new venue will offer daily lunch specials, a fresh food bar and a variety of prepared meals, from fresh salads and sushi to salmon, hot entrées and Simple Simon’s Pizza. 

Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, and Jonathan Long, senior vice president of community development, were among the Chamber representatives who spoke at the event Wednesday. 

They joined speakers such as Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, Rose Washington-Jones, CEO of TEDC Creative Capital, and Jackie Price of Price Family Properties, which owns the ARCO building. 

TEDC provided seed money for the project. 

“A.J. has proven that the impossible when you believe and put the work in,” Washington-Jones said. 

Through its nonprofit arm, The Oasis Projects, the grocery store represents more than just food. Community partnerships and donor support help connect neighbors with housing assistance, financial education, workforce development and health resources. 

“In my interactions with mayors across the country, every single mayor is trying to figure out how to do something like we’re doing here,” Nichols said. “In almost every case, the city is having to be an owner and investor in making that happen.  

“We didn’t have to do that here. We had a great entrepreneur, a great team of folks who came together, banded together and made it happen.”