Old East Village Grocer to close

Shuttering of the Old East Village Grocer deals another Covid-related blow to Old East Village

THE OLD EAST Village Grocer (OEVG) has announced it will be closing permanently as of June 7.

In a statement released by ATN Access for Persons with Disabilities, the social agency said its commitment to the Old East Village community “was part of the initial vision for OEVG” and that Friday’s announcement comes “with great regret.”

“Our goal with the grocery store was never really about generating profit,” said ATN Access executive director, Andrea Topham. “It was always about providing service to both our community, in terms of the availability of fresh and healthy food, and services to our clients to provide them with on-site job skills training. I think that’s what made it really unique as a social enterprise.”

According to Topham, the closure is due to operating factors associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, including additional costs for sanitation and security, staffing shortages, supply-chain restrictions and unforeseen capital asset replacement costs.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their ongoing support,” the statement continued. “It is with great pride that we were made part of the Old East Village community and with regret that we must say goodbye. We remain committed to our clients and will continue to support them in achieving their goals through our many program offerings at ATN Access Inc.”

In recent weeks, OEVG neighbouring businesses B13 The Baker’s Dozen and the St. Regis Tavern had announced they were closing permanently due to pandemic-related operating challenges.

Remaining inventory at OEVG will be offered at reduced prices until the end of the day on June 6, and the business encourages people to stop by to “stock up on food and supplies and to wish our staff well on their future endeavours.”