Chicago church plans to turn shuttered South Side liquor store into grocery store
Big plans are in the works for a former liquor store on Chicago's South Side.
The building is at the corner of 79th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue — an area with a history of violence. A church has now purchased it, and is hoping to bring new life to the area.
"The desire is that when they come in here, this will no longer be a liquor store—that this will be a grocery store," said Pastor John Hannah.
Pastor Hannah wants to swap liquor bottles for produce and meat on store shelves.
"It will be a total flip of this street," he said.
Pastor Hannah, of New Life Covenant Church Southeast, said he and his church bought Happy Liquor and Food — at 7901 S. Cottage Grove Ave. — two months ago. He will not say how much it cost, but he did say it is paid off.
"There's no mortgage on it. We're grateful that our church was able to pay cash for this," he said. "So now the build-out is what we're looking at."
There are still bottles of liquor, wine, and Mr. Pure juice sitting left behind on some of the shelves at Happy Food and Liquor, which has been closed since May of last year. The city shut it down after a shooting.
At 5:07 p.m. Saturday, May 5, 2024, police said three men were near the sidewalk outside the liquor store when they were approached by four men, who drove up in two cars, ran toward the store, and started firing. Two men were injured, and one died.
Pastor Hannah said the mother of the man who died now goes to his church.
"In honor of her son, one of the storefronts or the offices upstairs will be named after him," Hannah said, "because we don't want his death to be in vain."
Pastor Hannah said it will cost a couple of million dollars to renovate the building. The funding will come from numerous sources, including grants and community partnerships.
Not only will the store provide fresh produce, but Hannah would like to turn the upper level into an office space housing a dentist, doctor and therapist.
"We do a 'Prayer on the 9,' and we've been doing it for, this year will be 15 years," Hannah said. "So imagine, we've been walking past this building, praying for 15 years, and now we can say we don't have to walk past it. We can stop by it."
Residents of the surrounding Grand Crossing neighborhood like the idea.
"I'm happy it's going to be some type of substance here that's going to be good for the community," said resident King Johnson.
Pastor Hannah said the old Happy Liquor and Food is not the only store he has his eye on. He said it is one of many pieces of property the church will buy to revamp the community.
