By David Custer
Thursday, August 06, 2009 at 3:53 p.m.
Read more: Local, Economy, Kroger, Store, Manhattan, Closing, North, Toledo, Close, Company, Grocery, Suder, Mart
TOLEDO -- As of this Fall, there will be one less place to get your groceries in North Toledo.
Shoppers learned Thursday that the Kroger store on E. Manhattan will close its doors on Oct. 10, 2009. The news was disappointing to many residents living around the store.
The reason why the store is closing may surprise some. Kroger Co. representative Amy McCormick said, "We made the decision not to renew our lease and we'll continue to invest in Toledo."
The store's lease agreement would not allow the company to do the things they wanted to do. "If there were to be an opportunity in that area we would definitely look at it. We were just unable to do what we want in that area within the store than we're at."
The 71 employees currently working at the store will not lose their jobs. Kroger says all workers will be transferred to other Toledo locations.
Shoppers say the closing is an inconvenience. With very limited grocery choices in the area, the nearest Kroger store is three miles away on Suder Ave.
"That's a larger store. I've been in there once or twice and it's like running a marathon. I can never find anything," said Kroger shopper Janet Smolenski.
One Kroger shopper, Emery Whitiker, says the closing hits deeper, "I don't want this place to close. it's not for the neighborhood or the community."
