Myrna Cole says she'll miss shopping at Northwood Family Foods.
Cole was shocked to learn Tuesday after noon the neighbourhood grocery store's owners plan to shut its doors on July 7, citing an inability to secure a lease with mall owners Northwood Park Plaza.
"I don't think they should close it," Cole said. "There's no other grocery store in this area, unless you want to go to Safeway. There's nothing up at this end for the people in Northwood.
Cole said she shops at the independently owned store about once a week, and figured there will be an impact on her grocery-buying routine.
"I just live down the street and I can't run here and pick up a quart of milk or a loaf of bread when I need it. I have to go elsewhere now."
Jean Deventi expressed shock to learn the store was closing.
Like Cole, she drops in about once a week and said she'll miss it when it shuts down.
"I like this store. What else can I say. Is there anything else going in here, you think?" Deventi said.
Another shopper, who didn't want to be named, was more succinct in her response.
"Oh, that's terrible," she said.
Opened in 1995, the 25,000 square foot store employed 30 people in 2011, according to the most recent update to the company's webite, where owners are lsited as Jim Morancy, Nick Turkovic and Steve Harris. In addition to the usual grocery features, the Northwoods Family Food offered weekday delivery and also housed Carol's Cakes, which sublets the bakery area, and a full-service postal outlet.
The ownership group had little to say Tuesday in a briefly worded news release faxed to local media, though it did indicate the owners of the mall chose not to renew the lease agreement.
“In the interim, it will be business as usual,” Northwood Family Foods officials stated.
“Northwood Foods will be distributing a weekly flyer, operating a fully stocked grocery store, with Carols Cakes and a postal outlet.”
Management and staff thanked their customers in the release. Management said they would not comment on the situation until staff had a chance to absorb the news.
Calls to mall management were unsuccessful.
Another independent grocery store, Quality Market, closed two Thunder Bay locations last fall.
