Embracing and Building up our Corner Grocery Stores

I've attended a lot of meeting in the past few years where problems in the neighborhoods are discussed. Quite often, when corner stores get discussed, it involves describing the problems that result because of the way they are run. I've heard "they are selling bootlegged merchandise, loosies, drug paraphernalia, and things I don't need". They are often criticized for tolerating teenager groups loitering around outside or inside the store. Many people complain of being intimidated by those groups and consequently not shopping there. Many times the groups are believed to be selling drugs to passers-by, and they often are. Blocked windows preventing seeing in is also an often cited problem for corner stores, and that often leads in to discussing of suspicions about the owners or managers.

Last summer when walking PAC-TAC and stopping to talk with one of the merchants, I asked if there were any problems in the area. I heard how he has problems with kids loitering around. They keep customers away. They don't listen to him when he asks them to leave. If he call the police they leave for a while but eventually come back. He lives around the corner and his son gets bullied by some of the local kids. Working and living in the neighborhood was obviously not a picnic for him.

In the case of the Thurston Road area, I have often heard questions of when will we finally get a new mini-mart to take over the former 7-Eleven store. That certainly speak to the perceived need for for a grocery store in that area. A few weeks ago the PAC-TAC group I was with stopped by the corner stores at Anthony and Thurston and at Milton and Thurston. Both have clean unblocked windows and a food selection similar to what the 7-Eleven had. The one thing they are missing is the parking lot.

So, what are the barriers to these stores thriving? How do we eliminate the real and the perceived problems and make them stores we value?

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Permalink Reply by Grant Wisdom on January 22, 2012 at 11:43am

You hit the nail on the head. Loitering !!!! I believe there are laws against that. Unfortunately, that is one law that that gets ignored and is the first step in the domino effect that keeps people from patronizing a business. Would you want your wife, daughter, girlfriend walking through the center of one of these groups with the crude comments that are uttered in passing?

These people don't respect anybody, and they are bringing down the neighborhood. It is no wonder people head out of the city, you don't see groups loitering around Marketplace mall, or Eastview mall. You DID see that at Irondeqoit mall, and look what happended to that!

Stop the loitering, and civilized activity will resume.

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Permalink Reply by Margy Meath on January 22, 2012 at 12:53pm

The 'real' problem is crime-and lots of it- on Thurston. The Southwedge has a great 'corner store' (Mise En Place) that I stop at regularly. As far as I know, nobody has been shot/killed at the corner and while there are plenty of people who are walking in that neighborhood, nobody is just hanging out and if there are drugs being sold anywhere nearby it isn't obvious.

Parts of NYC are filled with various 'corner stores' and businesses that cater to the local neighborhoods. I've been in a lot of those stores and none have the appearance of stores here - i.e. they are bright, welcoming and people come and go with a wide range of items.

It has been a LONG time since i've been to a 'corner store' in the 19th Ward. Parking is certainly one barrier but the biggest, most significant barrier is the amount of crime on Thurston. 7-11 had parking which was nice but i only went there when absolutely necessary and was always struck by the fact that most patrons appeared interested in beer and lotto tickets! (perhaps ALCOHOL is part of the problem on Thurston).

We have a grocery store on West (at the end of Thurston) but I don't shop there either - When I tried to shop there in the past my experience was that the store was DIRTY, the produce was HORRIBLE and the cashier staff were downright rude with ZERO attention to customer service.

Hunts on Thurston remains the only store I regularly shop at and it's always a great experience. The customer service is awesome and I've NEVER seen anything from Hunts customers that concerns me. People in the store (staff and customers) relate in a cooperative, pleasant and neighborly manner - the store attracts a very diverse clientele men, women, young, old, black, white, brown, etc! It might be worth spending some time thinking about what makes Hunts work!!

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Phillips on January 23, 2012 at 10:37am

Regarding the grocery store on West at the end of Thurston - we only go there when we need a quick gallon of milk or some such due to issues similar to what you mentioned and just because we prefer the other chain. I got panhandled in the baking aisle once. But FWIW the last time I ran in there about a month ago, the store was notably tidy. So much so that I complimented the young man who was stocking the ice cream.

Leslie Ann

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Permalink Reply by Ken Maher on January 22, 2012 at 2:55pm

Thank you, John. Let's do more to encourage and empower these mom-and-pop stores, which represent the neighborhood to a lot of folks who can drive to do their shopping. They are, in fact, a return to neighborhoods the way we knew them years ago.

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Permalink Reply by Judi Baker on January 24, 2012 at 12:08pm

If these stores are having problems such as you describe, then why are they not present at the community meeting? If they are part of the problem, why not become part of the solution? While cleaning my neighborhood during Clean Sweeps, and sweeping and cleaning their storefronts, I have been laughed at and sneered while I might have enjoyed being offered a bottle of water better. Just a thought.

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Permalink Reply by John Boutet on January 24, 2012 at 4:30pm

I did see an owner at a 19WCA delegates council meeting a month or two ago. I'm not sure how often he has attended. We need to do more to reach out to corner store owners to get them involved in the community. Most are immigrant, and there are racial, ethnic, language, and religious divides that need to be bridged. We talk a lot about the benefits of living in a multicultural environment, and there are many. It does however mean that in order to walk the talk an extra effort is needed on everyone's part.

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Permalink Reply by Margy Meath on January 26, 2012 at 2:22pm

The YWCA ((national and local) is sponsoring a "Stand Against Racism" event in April - see http://www.standagainstracism.org/ for details. I participated in this last year through the school where i teach. It may be something for our SW community to consider being a part of!

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Permalink Reply by Deb Leary on January 26, 2012 at 5:58pm

I just got off the phone with someone from the Rochester Public Library Friends and Foundation. They are partnering with the YW, the Ghandi Institute and some others to set up an event at the Arnett Branch Library. We will be sure to let the community know as soon as we have details!

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Permalink Reply by Doreen Scanlan on February 2, 2012 at 3:30pm

This is a sore spot for me too. There are many people in our neighborhood , including myself, that don't have cars. The corner stores are often our only daily outlet. I frequent a number of them on a regular basis and am treated very well by the owners. Too often I think we hold the owners of these establishments responsible for the behavior of the individuals that hang around outside. I have heard comments at meetings that they sell Blunts etc so we don't want them in the neighborhood. Unless they are selling the weed that goes in them to make them illegal, they are a legal product. The responsibility for their use lies on the person that buys them. It is up to law enforcement to enforce any laws that are being broken. I'm pretty sure if you asked these store owners if they would like the bystanders there or having it clear for customers they would choose the customers after all that is how they make their living. We need to stop targeting the wrong people. Corner stores are a very vital part of a small neighborhood. The problem is allowing your fear to keep you from going someplace you want to be. Support those small businesses while they still exist. I have found that if you show respect for those you expect respect from it works much better than criticizing them

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Permalink Reply by Margy Meath on February 5, 2012 at 11:36am

I just stopped at the new mini-mart/corner store that recently opened on the corner of Chili/Westfield. it has been hard to miss this store driving by at night as the entire front end is filled with windows but those windows are now being covered with various advertisements. My plan this morning was to stop there to get a paper and use it as an opportunity to check out the store but I only spent a few minutes in the store.

Upon entering I was immediately struck by the smell of some sort of tobacco like smell (not smoke). Because I don't like that smell, I cut my trip short and didn't explore the entire store. What i did notice is a lot of 'beauty' items (hair stuff primarily) and a wall that looked like it featured some clothing type items (belts?) If the store features much in the way of food, it's in the back. Perhaps someone else who has seen more of the store can comment about the types of things being sold there.

The biggest issue with this 'corner store' is parking..... the store only has one vehicle entrance (right off of Westfield and close to Chili) There are NO marked parking spots AND the ONLY way to get out of the small paved space in front of the store is to BACK OUT onto Westfield Street!! I asked the cashier about parking and he confirmed that people need to BACK OUT to exit. I cannot imagine that this configuration is 'legal' and it definitely strikes me as being dangerous!! The other thing that CAN happen in the lot is this - if you pull a car in and park, someone else can pull in right behind you and block you in! Again, this seems pretty dangerous.

I'm left wondering how a store like this opens up in OUR neighborhood with such a huge and seemingly dangerous design flaw while a place like Wegmans on East Avenue has spent well over a year to resolve issues related to their desire to expand their store? Did the City of Rochester really APPROVE this 'design'???

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Babcock on February 14, 2012 at 9:13am

This is a very interesting discussion. In my opinion, as a person who does not own a motor vehicle, most of the corner stores in our neighborhood do not require a great deal of parking-- ask the customers next time you're in the store how they got there. I have to agree with the points on Hunt's Hardware- a WONDERFUL group of people running that show. They know the neighborhood, understand the needs of the houses in it, and provide great customer service. As far as groceries go- Mise En Place in South Wedge is very highly priced and semi-unsustainable for folks of my income as well the neighbors around me-- while it is a "nice" store, it doesn't offer much in the line of affordability. One creative thing we can do as a community is start frequenting our closest corner stores despite our unfounded fears. If there is anything we can do to partner up in this area- it is being present. Let's walk more in our neighborhoods and be present at our local stores!