City of Chicago partners with Black developers to bring supermarket options back to residents

[get these nets]

Chicago City Council approves $13.5M project to revive Save A Lot stores in food deserts​

Save A Lot owners in the city got the go-ahead to renovate six stores, with rebranding being considered to attract a wider audience.
Nov. 17, 2022

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Save A Lot Auburn Gresham store to reopen as part of a Chicago community investment grant.

Minority-owned company Yellow Banana received a $13.5 million community investment grant this summer. It was the largest grant awarded in the funding round, to be used to invest in food deserts in communities on the South and West Sides of Chicago. On Monday, the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee approved the $13.5 million in city subsidies for Yellow Banana to purchase and renovate six Save A Lot stores, including a shut- down Auburn Gresham market that is now slated to reopen.
The redevelopment agreement will authorize $13.5 million in tax increment financing and other city subsidies. And, to justify the city subsidy and ensure grocery access across Chicago, all six stores must remain open for “no less than 10 years,” said Deputy Planning and Development Commissioner Tim Jeffries. “If a single store closes or is sold during that time, then the developer must return all previously dispersed funds to the city for all six stores."
In addition to renovating the stores, rebranding is also being considered.

Chicago West Side Alderman Jason Ervin (28th ward), chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus, has expressed concern over the branding of the stores, and feels that the name Save A Lot has been damaged, as many local residents feel betrayed by the company’s closings of stores in underserved communities.
“Sign at least the 420 S. Pulaski store up for a name change or a rebranding of some sort, just to bring a fresher perspective for the community and give them a sense of a restart,” said Ervin, according to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Michael Nance, co-founder of 127 Wall (parent company of Yellow Banana), has said that it is understandable that rebranding may have to take place to change the community’s perception of the stores, and his team is considering it.
“We fully appreciate the reputational damage that Save A Lot has done in the city of Chicago by shutting down stores, such as the store that we seek to reopen at 79th and Halsted. We understand that it’s unacceptable to unilaterally make these kinds of decisions without including the community’s voices,” Nance said in a statement to the finance committee.
A mural on the building that embraces the culture of the community is one rebranding idea, and Nance said the company could hire a local artist using its own dollars. “Where there is a demand that these stores be branded something other than Save A Lot, we think we can get it done,” he said.

Walker Brumskin,, Ademola Adewale-Sadik, and Michael Nance. Co-founders of 127 Wall Holdings LLC which owns Yellow Banana​

The company has said it plans to combine additional money with the grant, to invest approximately $26 million into six Save A Lot locations at: 7908 S. Halsted St. in Auburn Gresham; 420 S. Pulaski Road in West Garfield Park; 10700 S. Halsted St. in Morgan Park; 2858 E. 83rd St. in South Chicago; 7240 S. Stony Island Ave. in South Shore; and 4439 W. 63rd St. in West Lawn.
“We are thrilled about the City of Chicago's investment in the passionate team at Yellow Banana and the Save A Lot stores they own throughout the city's South and West Sides,” Save A Lot CEO Leon Bergmann said in a statement. “Quality brands at affordable prices are at the heart of Save A Lot's identity, and we are honored to be able to provide that to Chicagoans in underserved communities through our retail partners at Yellow Banana. We’re confident in their ability to maximize the success of their stores by serving the Chicago community and giving these stores, and their customers, the attention and enhancements they deserve.”
Save A Lot has more than 850 stores in 32 states. Retail grocery platform Yellow Banana operates 38 Save A Lot locations across the Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Jacksonville and Dallas areas

 

[Unfiltered]

Save a lot is death food.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Save a lot is death food.

Article says the developers understand they have to rebuild trust in the brand and I hope that includes elevating the quality of products. Because to me, Save A Lot means cheap meat cuts and questionable quality food. In college I used to go there for my spices, potatoes, onions, snacks and drinks. Never trusted their meat or the rest of their vegetables.

 

[get these nets]

*the man speaking in the clip is one the co-founders /this same guy, allegedly. Apparently he'll take his share of earnings in food
*just jokes
​

US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE forum​

Businesses for Good | State of American Business Chicago​

10/11/22

cued to segment where he's asked about the details of this development project

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Article says the developers understand they have to rebuild trust in the brand and I hope that includes elevating the quality of products. Because to me, Save A Lot means cheap meat cuts and questionable quality food. In college I used to go there for my spices, potatoes, onions, snacks and drinks. Never trusted their meat or the rest of their vegetables.

Folks still gone be eating bad. Lot of frozen pizzas, pops, chips, etc. A lot of people don't care to eat 'healthy' foods, let a lone cook proper meals.

Save a lot definitely pure trash though.

 

[Unfiltered]

They're not going to rebuild the trust in the brand the food is trash, grade A hood trash that kills people. I used to live around these cheap supermarkets they kill people, aldis is much higher quality and that's saying a lot. This is basically educated brehs finding a lick and profiting off it, they don't care about these people. Been there before.

 

[Piff Perkins]

I gotta ask...did you guys Save A Lot not give out plastic bags? Mine had these cardboard boxes thrown around on a table near the exit door, and you would put your food in the boxes and leave.

 

[Family Man]

We will see how this goes.

 

[get these nets]

@stick2dascript67

A member voiced a similar opinion in a thread about a man signing a deal to bring Grocery Outlet supermarket to his old neighborhood in Philly.

I have a few questions. What is the general feeling about why Whole Foods closed down their store?
If WF and Save a Lot represent opposite ends of price/quality spectrum, what is the current mid option in that city?
Do you think that the quality of the grade of inventory/produce will improve under the new developers or stay exactly the same?

 

[@OffHalsted]

Until they start selling liquor, hot food & smoking items, grocery stores will forever suffer in the hood....

 

[Black Hans]

Okay.....black people in Chicago didn't have "supermarket options" before? In Chicago of all places? How is this supposed to be some type of benefit exactly?

 

[IllNameMyselfLater]

I gotta ask...did you guys Save A Lot not give out plastic bags? Mine had these cardboard boxes thrown around on a table near the exit door, and you would put your food in the boxes and leave.

Yep, Aldi's does the same. They say it's to cut cost and pass the savings to the customer.

 

[tater]

@stick2dascript67

A member voiced a similar opinion in a thread about a man signing a deal to bring Grocery Outlet supermarket to his old neighborhood in Philly.

I have a few questions. What is the general feeling about why Whole Foods closed down their store?
They closed down because the area they built it in is the hood. WF is not cheap, and the people that live in the area would have benefited more from a store with lower price points. I will say, the WF that was in Englewood (the neighborhood that closed), was NOT like other WF. They didn't have as many organic/products and they had lower prices on some items.

If WF and Save a Lot represent opposite ends of price/quality spectrum, what is the current mid option in that city? Jewel Osco, Mariano's. Now that these companies have merged, we'll see how many stores they keep open or if they consolidate.

Do you think that the quality of the grade of inventory/produce will improve under the new developers or stay exactly the same? Who knows! But I only shopped at save a lot if I needed some onions or seasonings. The chicken pieces are HUGE and it's very off putting.

Okay.....black people in Chicago didn't have "supermarket options" before? In Chicago of all places? How is this supposed to be some type of benefit exactly?

I'm sure you've heard of food deserts. Not everyone has means of transportation (this is a big city so that's not unheard of), and in some neighborhoods the only options to buy food are corner stores and fast food. It's a benefit because the community will have access to fresher and healthier options.

 

[Hey_zeus]

Okay.....black people in Chicago didn't have "supermarket options" before? In Chicago of all places? How is this supposed to be some type of benefit exactly?

Alot of food deserts out west and south here.

 

[get these nets]

I'm sure you've heard of food deserts. Not everyone has means of transportation (this is a big city so that's not unheard of), and in some neighborhoods the only options to buy food are corner stores and fast food. It's a benefit because the community will have access to fresher and healthier options.

Thanks for the response. Get better insight when residents of the city being discussed weigh in.

Also, not sure if the posted article mentions, but I think the video segment does.

Additionally, Yellow Banana plans to establish a shuttle service that would pick up people from “landlocked areas,” including seniors and people without cars, to help them get to the store and back home