By Alan Lytle
Lexington, KY – A bluegrass duo, and more than a hundred bystanders were on hand Sunday afternoon to help Lexington Mayor Jim Gray cut the ribbon on the first downtown urban grocery market in decades.
Shorty's, in the Traditional Bank building on West Short Street, will sell food, fresh meat, produce and other items. The mayor says downtown residents have wanted a grocery store for a long time.
"When we talk about reactivating, or revitalizing the downtown, so much of it is about bringing people on the streets; bringing people and the community together. That's what this represents. When we build it for our own people first, then others will follow."
Shorty's General Manager Darren Teodoro, says he believes the store will build a loyal customer base.
"My family has been in the restaurant and deli business; my Dad is a food broker as well right now. It's something that, when coming up north, this style of market is what you see in a city. This is the perfect type of urban setting that you would want for this type of place."
Teodoro says if things go well in Lexington, future Shorty's stores may be built in other cities.