A grocery store chain abruptly closed several Chicago locations on the city’s West and South sides, where access to fresh food is already stressed for thousands of residents.
Save A Lot is a fairly common chain of small, low-budget grocery stores in Illinois, which stocks canned goods and non-perishables, as well as meat, produce, fruit, and more. Save A Lot stores in the Chicago metro area were partnered with a company named Yellow Banana up until very recently. WGN tried but failed to get a comment from the company in lieu of these closures.
Inside the Closure of Save A Lot Stores in Chicago:
Per WGN, these closures come about four years after the City of Chicago announced it would give $13.5 million in taxpayer financing to Yellow Banana as part of a $26 million deal to buy/renovate six locations on the West and South sides of the city. As part of the agreement, Yellow Banana agreed to keep the stores open for 10 years; these closures fell well-short of that agreement.
The following Chicago Save A Lot stores were closed:
- 832 W. 63rd St.
- 7904 S. Halsted Ave.
- 10700 S. Halsted St.
- 7240 S. Stony Island Ave.
- 2858 E. 83rd St.
- 420 S. Pulaski Rd.
- 4439 W. 63rd St
The Illinois Grocery Initiative Was Created to Help Prevent This Problem:
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cited the effects of federal funding cuts and changes to programs like SNAP benefits as a reason that these Save A Lot stores were closed. At a WNBA event on Saturday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said his administration has done a great deal to keep grocery stores open in Chicago’s most stressed areas:…