Buildings in the background front on Carroll Street. Swekosky Photo Collection, School Sisters of Notre Dame. Soulard Market is not without problems today. The physical facility, state of the art 68 years ago, is now aged and not efficient. Deferred maintenance and heavy use has taken its toll on the building.
Business is down, due to several factors.
Competition from many other food sources and the hurry up nature of our society today certainly don't help. No one wants this cultural treasure to fade away, as have all the other public markets. The city, the vendors, and community leaders have come together to meet this new challenge. It is a pretty tall order, but the history of Soulard Market shows it as having weathered a number of various difficulties. The main thing any business must remember is the wants and needs of its customers.