CLEVELAND, Ohio — In just the past few months, two grocery stores have shut their doors in Cleveland, and the city is now working to find businesses to fill those spaces.
First, the new East Side Market shut down in April. And just this past Friday, Heinen’s downtown announced it will close July 31. It was news that left many downtown shoppers stunned.
For Downtown Cleveland Inc., however, the news wasn’t surprising. That’s because there had been ongoing conversations for nearly a year about how to keep the grocer open. But according to Heinen’s statement, the store simply did not reach the level of long-term sustainability needed to continue operating.
"I think for a variety of reasons, changing consumer behaviors, lots going on in the market, rising operating costs — they made the decision at this point to close the store, but there was a lot of engagement, a lot of effort, and financial support to help them,” said Michael Deemer, the CEO at Downtown Cleveland Inc.
In April, ahead of Heinen’s announcement, the new East Side Market also shut down. The city said in a statement that it is actively looking for someone to fill that space:
“Ensuring every resident has access to quality, affordable food remains our priority — whether that's downtown or another neighborhood. The City continues to make progress towards identifying a new partner to operate the East Side Market. We issued a Request for Qualified Contractors (RFQC) on June 17th, as we look to reactivate the food retail, commercial kitchen, demonstration kitchen, and wellness spaces. The RFQC process will remain open through the end of next month, as the submission deadline is July 31st. More information about the RFQC can be found here [procurement.opengov.com]. We were just notified on Friday about Heinen's, but have already begun having conversations with stakeholders to ensure we find a solution for downtown as quickly as possible."
The city added that discussions are already underway to fill the historic Cleveland Trust Company Building, which Heinen’s has occupied since 2015.
"I would be shocked if there's not something fun and exciting that we can all be proud of in that space in less than a year,” said Deemer.
With fewer grocery options in downtown Cleveland, Deemer reminds residents about Constantino’s Market and the weekly Thursday farmers market. Still, the big question remains: What will replace Heinen’s?
"There are lots of conversations happening. [I'm] not at liberty to discuss those, but I think there, I think there's a lot of interest, and there's a great opportunity there,” said Deemer.
In Heinen’s statement, Co-President Jeff Heinen noted that no staff members will be laid off. Associates will be offered roles at other locations.
“This was a difficult decision, and we appreciate the efforts of our associates and the support of our customers to make this store successful. We wish it would have been a more favorable outcome. Despite ongoing adjustments, the store did not reach the level of long-term sustainability needed to continue operating."
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
