Milwaukee grocery store closures; Mayor Johnson addresses food deserts
Milwaukee grocery store closures
Mayor Johnson joined grocers and city leaders to discuss the city’s role in addressing food deserts.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Monday, Feb. 9 shared updates on his administration’s work to address healthy food access issues, and efforts underway in response to recent large grocery store closings.
Mayor Johnson was joined by people in the food business and representatives from the Johnson administration at the Sentry Food Store on Lisbon Avenue.
"Grocery store closures continue to be a problem across the city, and we have been leveraging partnerships in order to stem the current wave of closures," said Mayor Johnson. "So I'm working, as I mentioned, with members of the Common Council on a new grant program that would help grocers with their equipment needs. It can also be for eligible start-up inventory for businesses that are looking to create or expand existing grocery or pharmacy retail operations."
Grocery stores closing
Dig deeper:
At least seven full-service grocery stores have closed across Milwaukee County over the past year, including three on Milwaukee's north side.
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Sentry Foods, located near 64th Street and Silver Spring, has alerted customers that the store will be closing. The location opened in fall 2023, with city leaders at the time estimating it would serve about 12,000 people within a one-mile radius who lacked access to a full-service grocery store.
Locations of Milwaukee County grocery store closures
The Sentry Foods closure follows other recent grocery shutdowns on the city’s north side. An Aldi near Sherman and Custer closed abruptly. Last summer, Pick ’n Save announced the closure of five locations countywide, including one on the north side.
Milwaukee grocery store closures impact vulnerable, nonprofit says
The closure of another Milwaukee grocery store, the second already this year, is impacting the city's most vulnerable communities, a nonprofit said.
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