LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some Metro Council members gathered at a Kroger in Louisville’s west end, where residents are concerned about that location’s closing time.
The Kroger on West Broadway is one of two Kroger stores in the West End of Louisville. They both close at 9 p.m. while several other Kroger locations in the Louisville Metro area close later. Residents say there has been an issue with the Kroger on Broadway closing even earlier.
“There’s not many other places that we can go to,” said Markesha Smith, a resident in the west end. “There’s just lack of transportation. There’s people in the neighborhood that are struggling financially.”
Smith attended a press conference held by a few council members to address the earlier closures of west end Kroger stores.
“We already have a shortage of access when it comes to food, so for these particular Kroger’s to close early is a smack in the face,” said Councilmember Tammy Hawkins, D-District 1.
Community members sent Hawkins messages about the West Broadway grocery store closing before 9 p.m. This prompted her to check it out herself, where she was met by a security guard who told her they were closed, even though it wasn’t 9 p.m. yet.
“There has been times where I came and the doors were closed and not really understanding why,” Smith said. “I didn’t really know what was going on. I just assumed just lack of staff, or short staffed, so that’s been the experience.”
Frank Hall, a Louisville resident, spoke at the press conference to share his experience with this issue.
“8:45 you can’t go in so I have to go out Dixie, you know,” Hall said. “We know people ain’t got transportation. People can’t even get to this Kroger from 44th.”
In a statement sent to Spectrum News 1, a Kroger spokesperson said: “We apologize for a service oversight that resulted in the entrance doors closing at approximately 8:45 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. at our West Broadway location. We have addressed with our team to welcome customers with open doors until 9 p.m. every night.”
The council members at the press conference hope to collaborate with Kroger to keep the stores open for longer.
“Myself and my colleagues, we’re gonna try to work with the Kroger’s, both Kroger’s in the West End, to have extended hours,” said Hawkins.
This is part of an effort to address food insecurity in the area.
Hawkins also called on the community to “try not to take anything from this store.” She said that the loss prevention data for the West Broadway Kroger is high.