Grocery Store Now Makes An Unexpected Closure After 100 Years

June 3, 2024

A grocery store now makes an unexpected closure after 100 years of serving its community, leaving shoppers with only a few weeks left.

Cooper’s Foods in St Paul, Minnesota, has been serving shoppers for over one hundred years.

The store will shutter on June 27, spokesperson Sara Cooper told ABC News affiliate KSTP.

“With a heavy heart, I am sharing that our family will be closing our last remaining grocery store,” Sara wrote in a Facebook post on May 19 confirming the end of the grocery store chain.

“We have been honored to serve the West 7th community since 1992.”

No reason has been given for the closure of the family-run grocer that has been in operation since 1917.

However, it comes just months after the Chaska location closed in March after 107 years.

At the time, the Cooper family said that the elderly owners Gary and Sandy could no longer shoulder the “financial burden” of continuing business in the area.

After the closure later this month, locals will be hard-pressed to find fresh produce within walking distance of the soon-to-be shuttered supermarket.

The nearest stores including Trader Joe’s are all around 1.5 miles away.

St. Paul City Council Member Rebecca Noecker spoke out about her sadness at the loss of the “lifeline” chain and her desire to see locals provided for by local retail after it closes.

“I was saddened to learn about the upcoming closure of Cooper’s Grocery Store on W. 7th,” Noecker wrote in a post on Facebook.

“For me and for so many community members, Cooper’s had been not only a lifeline for fresh food but also somewhere you’d always connect with a friendly face.

“Keeping local retail strong is a priority for me, along W. 7th Street and commercial corridors citywide.”

“I’ve connected with our economic development team, and we are ready to assist in making sure this part of W. 7th Street remains vibrant and provides amenities the neighborhood needs,” she added.

71-year-old owner Gary Cooper said in February that it was big-box stores that had impacted sales at the Chaska location and led to its closure.

In 2017, Cooper’s Foods’ location in Highland Park shuttered and was replaced by an Aldi store two years later.

However, the future of the final location remains unknown with Cooper declining to comment on what it will become when speaking with Pioneer Press.

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Also Read: An Unexpected Retailer Is Now Closing All Stores in Illinois

Other Economy News Today

An unexpected restaurant now abruptly closes 7 locations in one state after revealing plans to shutter a total of 36.

TGI Fridays is closing a total of seven restaurants in one state as part of the company’s ongoing growth strategy.

This comes after the chain abruptly closed 36 locations across 12 states in at the beginning of the year, per The-Sun.

The restaurant chain will pull the plug on seven locations across the state of New Jersey in the coming weeks.

Today, Fridays will welcome in famished diners at its location in Brick for the final time.

“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Weldon Spangler, CEO of TGI Fridays earlier this week.

“We are at the helm of a pivotal moment that will allow us to explore boundless advancement, expansion, and innovation to keep delivering ‘That Fridays Feeling’ that our fans know and love.”

Before the closures, TGI Fridays had about 270 US locations, according to the company’s website.

“As part of the store closures, TGI Fridays is offering more than 1,000 transfer opportunities, which represents over 80% of total impacted employees,” the company previously said in a statement.

“Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, and we’ve identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to meet – and exceed – on that brand promise,” said Ray Risley, US president and chief operating officer, in the release.

Eight other locations were sold to former CEO Ray Blanchette, a longtime stakeholder who will acquire the previously corporate-owned restaurants.

The sale comes as major changes have been made to the brand’s leadership, including the news of Weldon Spangler being made CEO.

“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Spangler in a statement.

Also Read: Retirees Will Now Receive More Money For Social Security

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