Sole Full-Service Grocery Store in West Oakland Set to Close
OAKLAND (KPIX) -- Many loyal customers are shocked that Community Foods Market on San Pablo Avenue -- the only full-service grocery store in West Oakland -- is closing for good this weekend.
The store's final day of operation will be Sunday, Feb 13.
"I'm just sad. I'm just sad," said loyal customer Lynnette Robinson. "I'm heartbroken actually. It's truly a hard, sad Friday in Oakland today. It really is. This is a big loss."
Some neighbors like Robinson shop at Community Foods weekly. They said they rely on the market.
"[It's] devastating. It hurts me now. Terrible, terrible," said customer Lloyd Canamore, who lives a few blocks away from the market. "It hurts me bad. My car broke. I can walk here. Now it's going to be gone."
Many of the store's 25 workers also live in the community. Community Foods CEO Brahm Ahmadi said he ran out of money and options.
"Losing what has been my baby, it's tough. It's really hard emotionally. I'm exhausted. I'm not sleeping great. I'm stressed out," said Ahmadi.
Many people called West Oakland a food desert because for 40 years, it did not have a full-service grocery store. Ahmadi opened it in 2019, eight months before the pandemic.
"We never had sufficient financial resources to operate properly, especially to have the reserves to give us the resilience to ride through any kind of economic challenges," said Ahmadi.
He said he experienced a 30 percent drop in business during the pandemic. Add on inflation, labor and supply shortages, and they present insurmountable problems.
"People saw this store as a potential catalyst to really start to signal community development and change along this corridor. Start attracting other investments, other businesses," said Ahmadi.
Many corporations avoided West Oakland for years, historically a predominately Black and low-income neighborhood. Neighbors worry the closure will push other community investments away.
"Before, I thought other businesses would start opening and we could be great again. But I don't know. I don't know," said Robinson.
Ahmadi said the bank will soon take over the property. Everything in the store is 50 percent off until it closes on Sunday.
