hannah | Tenth of the Tenth.

I'm beginning to hear unconfirmed rumors from family members a local grocery store might close. I hope it's just rumors - we've lost enough independent grocery stores in the neighborhood already. I know people talk badly of the story, and largely that's fully justified. The best way I know to describe it is that it's a secondhand grocery, where a decent amount of their business comes from selling overstock from other places. There's a lot of stuff they do firsthand, and when it's a product like canned tomatoes or dish soap or beer, there's very little concern about who got it first. That said, every so often, something from Whole Foods or Target shows up, and I can't begin to guess how it got there.

Within the last four years, three other grocery place - one bodega corner store, two organic markets - shuttered for various reasons. Rent's a big motivation. Wanting to retire's another. The unconfirmed rumors include that the owners can't find someone to carry on the business. I know it's not an easy way to make a living, and it's not something I'd ever want myself. It's something I want others to do, and it's something I'm happy to support.

Worst case scenario, I'd like to know ahead of time to stock up on things like salt. Best case, the unconfirmed rumors never move beyond neighborhood gossip.