Kansas City poured millions into a grocery store. It still may close.

The Washington Post ^ | July 18, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Annie Gowen

[E. Pluribus Unum]

More cities and states are experimenting with the concept of city-owned grocery stores, but these experiments often don’t account for social issues.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was the lone tomato in the produce bin that nearly made Marquita Taylor weep.

She’d stopped in her neighborhood grocery store, the place that was cause for celebration when it opened seven years ago. Area residents had long lived without a decent supermarket on Kansas City’s east side, and KC Sun Fresh was the city’s attempt to alleviate a lack of access to healthy food in its urban center.

But the store, in a city-owned strip mall, is on the verge of closure. Customers say they are increasingly afraid to shop there — even with visible police patrols — because of drug dealing, theft and vagrancy both inside and outside the store and the public library across the street.

KC Sun Fresh lost $885,000 last year and now has only about 4,000 shoppers a week. That’s down from 14,000 a few years ago, according to Emmet Pierson Jr., who leads Community Builders of Kansas City, the nonprofit that leases the site from the city. Despite a recent $750,000 cash infusion from the city, the shelves are almost bare.

“We’re in a dire situation,” Pierson said.

As grocery prices continue to climb and 7 million Americans face losing federal food assistance, more cities and states across the country — in Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin — are experimenting with the concept of publicly supported grocery stores as a way to help provide for low-income neighborhoods.

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, has attracted attention for his campaign pledge to combat “out-of-control” prices by establishing five city-owned supermarkets that he says will pass savings...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

...cities and states across the country — in Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin — are experimenting with the concept of publicly supported grocery stores as a way to help provide for low-income neighborhoods.

[crusty old prospector]

I wonder how much is going out the door with the five finger discount.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

‘Oklahoma!’ (Rodgers and Hammerstein)

Will:

I got to Kansas City on a Frid’y.
By Sattidy I l’arned a thing or two.
For up to then I didn’t have an idy
Of whut the modren world was comin’ to.
I counted twenty gas buggies goin’ by theirsel’s
Almost ev’ry time I tuck a walk.
’Nen I put my ear to a Bell telephone,
And a strange womern started in to talk!

Aunt Eller:
Whut next!

Boys:
Yeah, what?

Will:
Whut next?

Ev’rythin’s up to date in Kansas City.
They’ve gone about as fur as they c’n go!
They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high—
About as high as a buildin’ orta grow.

Ev’rythin’s like a dream in Kansas City.
It’s better than a magic-lantern show.
Y’ c’n turn the radiator on whenever you want some heat,
With ev’ry kind o’ comfort ev’ry house is all complete,
You c’n walk to privies in the rain an’ never wet yer feet—
They’ve gone about as fur as they c’n go!

All:
Yes, sir!
They’ve gone about as fur as they c’n go!

[Carry_Okie]

For many decades, the retail grocery business has been one of the lowest margin and most competitive businesses there is.

So leftists and bureaucrats think they can obviously do it better for less.

[PeterPrinciple]

https://www.modernretail.co/operations/unpacked-the-history-of-city-owned-grocery-stores-and-how-public-private-partnerships-have-worked-in-other-markets/

Here is an article from yesterday, just talking about the start of this operation, never the ending.

[Mean Daddy]

Of course liberals don’t take into account their demonization of large chains like Walmart, Safeway etc. where shoplifting isn’t prosecuted so they shutdown which creates opportunities for bodegas which get demonized because they don’t have the purchasing power and prices are higher. So the solution now is govt run stores?!? Wow. Liberals are like the game Twister for the mind.

[jeffersondem]

“But the store, in a city-owned strip mall, is on the verge of closure.”

I never saw this coming.

[PGR88]

Customers say they are increasingly afraid to shop there — even with visible police patrols — because of drug dealing, theft and vagrancy both inside and outside the store and the public library across the street.

I think its clear we can blame white people for this.

/s

[ClearCase_guy]

People always think that a communist society would just have mountains of stuff in all the stores. You go to the store, you grab all the stuff you want, you walk on out. It’s utopia.

But no one wants to work in a communist society. Why should they? They have free access to stuff without working — right? The only type of society that actually has “mountains of stuff” is a capitalist society. And you have to work for what you want.

[Tell It Right]

Agreed. Or as I heard an old Russian say decades ago: In communism the govt pretends to serve the people while the people pretend to work.

[Texas Eagle]

Customers say they are increasingly afraid to shop there — even with visible police patrols — because of drug dealing, theft and vagrancy both inside and outside the store and the public library across the street.

They're afraid of the public library across the street?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

‘Food Deserts’ ARE a problem - but the stores themselves are NOT the problem. Bad actors, thieves and ‘gibsmedats’ are the problem.

Also, no FATHERS in the home, no manners and no discipline by Single Mom for her brood of six. :(

The ‘Maurer’s Urban Market’ in The People’s Republic of Madistan’s South Side has been ‘opening’ for TWO FULL YEARS, now. Design problems, zoning problems, not enough money going back into the pockets of Congress Critters and Developers - you name it!

Kinda wondering why some smart person hasn’t stepped into this fray. Why NOT have a grocery store in rough neighborhoods with armed guards, where you’re ‘wanded’ at the entrance for weapons and drugs, where German Shepherds roam the aisles, and cash only and EBT cards are accepted for, ‘THESE ITEMS ONLY?’ No Maine Lobster and Ribeye steaks for you, Parasite!

[HYPOCRACY]

If they just focused on crime instead of enabling it, real businesses would open. Commies are so friggen stupid and everybody has to pay for their idiocy over and over again.

This muzzie POS wants that for NYC and these stupid broads are gonna vote for it.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Must be the books...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Capitalism produces EVERYTHING Socialists wish to “redistribute.”

Socialism produce NOTHING Socialists wish to “redistribute.”

Socialism can only exist as a death-cult parasite of capitalism.

[TheDon]

The politicians do so well at everything else they lay their hands on...

[tumblindice]

Reading Is For Fags!
It’s not the library. There’s a Jobs Fair RV camped in the parking lot.

[Vesuvian]

City-Owned Grocery Stores:

Brought to you by the same people who gave you the DMV....

[leakinInTheBlueSea]

If you’ve spent any time in this part of KC, you’d recognize that as unfair to the DMV.

[VanShuyten]

“ They’re afraid of the public library across the street?”

I saw that, too, and wondered, but big city libraries attract vagrants who like the A/C, toilets and comfy chairs. They might even peruse a newspaper or magazine between naps while there.