Editor's note: This story was originally published in the .
The Save A Lot grocery store at 10 Vieux Carre Drive in East St. Louis has closed, and its owner says he is retiring.
The store closed on Thursday, April 20, after eight years at the site, according to owner Robert 鈥淏ob鈥� Bonner. Bonner expects someone else will eventually buy the site. Asked about why he closed the business, Bonner said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for me to retire.鈥�
鈥淪omeone else will come along and open another grocery store. I am retiring. Someone else will open it up as another grocery store,鈥� he said. 鈥� I鈥檓 done. I鈥檓 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I鈥檓 retiring and going home.鈥�
Bonner said he gave away all the remaining products in the store. 鈥淚 gave it to the Urban League, Lessie Bates, a bunch of churches, and shut the doors,鈥� he said.
Another at 2600 State St., remains open. It is not owned by Bonner. He opened his store in 2015. He said he did so to serve the Black community.
鈥淛ust being honest, I didn鈥檛 like how my people were being charged鈥� at other nearby stores, he said.
鈥淚 love that community. I鈥榲e been there 30 something years. I fell in love with that community and there was such a need. There were so few services there when I came to the community,鈥� Bonner said.
Around the time Bonner announced he was building his new store, had announced it was leaving East St. Louis.
Carolyn P. Smith is a reporter and editor with the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
