Residents Respond After Hearing NE OKC Grocery Store Prepares To Close

Residents in Northeast Oklahoma City say their only full-service grocery store, in what the city calls a food desert, is set to close any day. 

In a Thursday Facebook video, Councilwoman Nikki Nice said while the closing date isn’t certain, she had read both Thursday and next Tuesday, she did confirm with the owners the Super Saver at Northeast 23^rd and North Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closing.

“When you have owners that own property in your community, they don’t have an allegiance to the community. They have an allegiance to themselves,” Nice said in the video.

News 9 reached out to both Nice and the store’s owners for comment and didn’t hear back from either.

In May of 2019, Nice lead an emergency declaration halting new development of dollar stores and convenience stores in the area, hoping to spur development of stores will fresh produce.

Cory White and Dave Dawkins say the building at 23^rd and MLK has been through many occupants from Humpty Dumpty’s, Country Boys, Homes Town and Buy For Less. But they’ve all left, leaving patron’s wondering why.

“Two weeks ago, they had a job fair for this store,” White said. “And now two days ago they say they’re closing the store down? This is the only store we have over here.”

Dawkins said he is worried about elderly people in the community, unable to travel far to buy groceries.

“You ain’t got a car, you don’t know how to ride the bus, and your Hover Round don’t charge up to get you far, I don’t know what you’re going to do. They don’t care though,” Dawkins said.