Lonigro’s Supermarket has not been open for several days and probably will not reopen for regular business.
Owner, Larry Lonigro, posted on the store’s Facebook page Saturday, July …
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Lonigro’s Supermarket has not been open for several days and probably will not reopen for regular business.
Owner, Larry Lonigro, posted on the store’s Facebook page Saturday, July 25 the following:
Unless I win the lottery or someone steps forward to purchase the store, it looks like the only grocery store/meat market/deli in Gerald will lock its doors for good by 8/11/2020. So, watch for posts on Facebook for specific days, times, and ‘events’ starting as soon as 10AM Sunday, 7/26/2020.
Thank you.
Larry
When contacted, Lonigro declined the opportunity to make a comment to The Republican.
The market was closed by the Franklin County Health Department in mid-June due to multiple critical health violations. The store reopened a week later in a limited capacity. Many of the store’s coolers sat unused and empty.
Recently, the store was staffed with a skeleton crew and operated under limited hours. Some days, the store was closed due to reported staffing issues.
While many grocery stores had bare shelves during the beginning of the COVID-19 induced food scare, Lonigro’s managed to keep a good supply of groceries on their shelves. Lonigro reported record-breaking sales for two consecutive weeks during the panic. Yet, that infusion of cash wasn’t enough to turn around the store had been struggling for several years.
The tipping point appears to have been many of the coolers in the store. These were not able to be brought up to the standards required by the health department. They were not in use when the store reopened earlier this month.
The center aisles of the store, were blocked at their midway points, as remaining products on the shelves were moved closer and closer to the front of the store.
The popular deli- and hot-case had not reopened after the health department imposed shut down.
The grocery store opened in Gerald in 1978 as J&L Market by Lonigro’s brother Joe. A 42nd anniversary celebration was held in May.
With the store’s closing, Gerald loses its only grocery store, arguably one of the cornerstones in the community.
