Grocery store opens in St. Paul at previously troubled Lamplighter Lounge location
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A new grocery store in St. Paul is turning what was previously a troubled location into a point of cultural pride in the neighborhood.
The Karen and Nepali Foods store has just recently opened. It's taking over the space previously occupied by the Lamplighter Lounge, a strip club that was the scene of a number of shootings.
Those shootings included the one that killed Nia Black in August 2020.
"My daughter, 23-year-old Nia Black, she was shot and murdered in this parking lot right there, feet away from where we stand," Latanya Black said. "That was the start of everything that you see leading up to this day."
She helped spur this neighborhood change. She and others spent about two months on weekends, advocating with signs to have the Lamplighter shut down.
Now, the space services the community, reflecting the cultures of those who live in its proximity.
"South Asian foods, Indian foods, Korean foods, Nepali foods," store owner Ksem Rai said. "I think this is a good opportunity."
The store is located at 160 Larpenteur Avenue West in St. Paul.
"This is a long three-year journey. A lot of people said that it couldn't happen, but today shows what can happen when the community cares. So this feels like closure," Latanya Black said.
