CHICAGO — A ribbon-cutting on Chicago’s West Side Thursday was greeted with appreciation amid the city’s ongoing efforts to address the lingering problem of food deserts.
A newly reopened Save A Lot in West Garfield Park left Glenda Daniel and hard-working West Side families with an excellent first impression.
“We needed a store back in our neighborhood because they took the Aldi’s, and now we have the [Save A Lot] back,” Daniel said. “It’s about time.”
Shopper Phil Bell said the full-service, professionally managed grocery store near the intersection of Eisenhower and South Pulaski is a blessing.
“We didn’t have anything else in the neighborhood,” Bell said.
Protestors in 2023 were deeply unhappy with Save A Lot and parent company Yellow Banana the first time they opened in Chicago. After Whole Foods turned its back on Englewood, critics say, without little warning, Whole Foods abandoned local vendors and their 63rd Street store, leaving behind a void.
Residents were dissatisfied with Save A Lot and what they said was a lack of selection and poor quality, so 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin and many others stepped up to the plate.
“Today is the day that we start a new beginning in the West Garfield Park community,” Ervin said.
Yellow Banana co-founder Michael Nance added, “We’re going to do our absolute best to ensure that this store services your needs.”