The decision by Kroger to permanently shutter its Romany Road location on Saturday has led to disappointment and concern among some in surrounding neighborhoods.
A self-described foodie, Jeremy Smith says the small but intimate Romany Kroger influenced his decision to move to his Cooper Drive home in 2012.
"Everyone suggested that Duke Road, Cooper Drive, that area was a good place to live just because of the proximity of the drug store, the post office. So, not having access to [the Kroger] now means, I don't know, do I move?"
Smith is legally blind and enjoyed having a convenient grocery within walking distance, something he says neither of the chain's larger, more modern stores can provide.
"And so, in addition to the difficulty of just the shopping experience, grabbing things off the shelf and making sure you get the right thing, now I have to sort of negotiate transportation to and from with my groceries," he adds.
Dwarfed by the new mutli-level Euclid Kroger which sits just a mile down the road, the Romany location had been hemorrhaging money since 2008 according to the company – that’s despite drawing an especially loyal crowd of regulars, many from affluent neighborhoods. But for Smith and others the closing represents the loss of a tight-knit community market where workers knew the customers by name.
While the fate of the spot is uncertain – Kroger has another year to go on the lease – Councilman Bill Farmer is holding a forum Tuesday night at 6 at Christ the King church to gather thoughts from residents.
