{
  "id": 1600993,
  "title": "MamiMarkets connecting ethnic food vendors, customers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/mamimarkets-connecting-ethnic-food-vendors-customers",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T01:04:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/08/17/mamimarkets-connecting-ethnic-food-vendors-customers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A husband and wife from Manitoba have turned a long search for specific ingredients into a thriving online business connecting ethnic food vendors with their customers. Tayo Olayinka and Adeola Adegoke founded MamiMarkets.com in 2021, after Adegoke struggled to find the right ingredients to make a West African soup called egusi. The pair were inspired to create an online marketplace where ethnic grocery vendors could list their products, making it easier for customers to find what they need. MamiMarkets began as a local Winnipeg service but has since expanded to seven Canadian cities. The company uses Uber drivers for deliveries and makes money through service fees and partnerships with businesses like Elect Capital and Lightspeed POS. MamiMarkets' gross merchandise value was $79,000 in 2025, with the company earning around 18% of that revenue. The company aims to triple those numbers in 2025, reaching $1 million in gross merchandise value and generating $150,000 to $200,000 annually. The platform has been beneficial for local vendors, such as African Foodways Market and Chop 'N' Charm Meat, who have gained more exposure and customers through MamiMarkets.",
  "summary": "A West African soup recipe and a fruitless search for ingredients led to a business opportunity for two Manitoba entrepreneurs. La Salle-based husband and wife Tayo Olayinka and Adeola Adegoke […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Tayo Olayinka and Adeola Adegoke founded MamiMarkets.com in 2021.",
    "Company expanded to seven Canadian cities, using Uber drivers for deliveries.",
    "MamiMarkets aims to triple its 2025 gross merchandise value to $1 million."
  ],
  "editors_take": "MamiMarkets' growth enables ethnic food vendors to reach more customers and increases access to specialty ingredients for seekers, while generating revenue through service fees and partnerships.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}