Aldi opens new location in Lawrenceville as residents applaud having a steady place to shop
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The ribbon cutting this morning marked the declaration of a new era.
"It's good to have a new store here," William Keenan of Lawrenceville said.
Keenan's walk from the new Aldi is about 10 minutes. He's been waiting to trek his mini cart through the aisles.
"I had to go all the way to Waterworks – or I had to go up the hill to Community," Keenan said.
That was after the Shop N' Save that sat here closed earlier this year.
"I was like a regular customer – going there almost every day," Keenan said.
Keenan has a memento of what sat here before – an old bag from Shop 'N' Save that he continues to use. It's something people we spoke with missed having close by.
"We were bummed when it closed down," Tim Johnston of Lawrenceville said.
"People are looking for a close place to shop – so they can feed their families," Lynnette Patterson of Garfield said.
Sara Skufca hopes she and her team can help fill that void.
"We know that it hasn't had much food service available – so we're really happy to put Aldi here," Skufca said.
Plenty of people packed the checkout belts on this Thursday morning. Skufca is now the steward of a building that she's familiar with.
"I used to shop here as a child – my mom actually used to work here, so that means a lot to me," she said.
Now – she's watching as other people are shopping.
Between the guacamole, the green grapes, the Gruyere, and the Gouda -- lies a sense of proximity.
"We have the bus route right here in the parking lot," Skufca said. "So, if you have a car, if you don't have a car, we're available to you."
All of this means cutting William Keenan's shopping commute in half.
"It's just a lot better – more convenient to say the least," he said.
The new store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
