Omnivore - Little’s Food Store is closing
Cabbagetown market to close at the end of the month
Little’s Food Store, the Cabbagetown grocery store and grill that celebrated the vibrant neighborhood’s blue-collar history while dishing up burgers and breakfast and one’s daily essentials, will close at the end of the year.
Yesterday afternoon, word started spreading on social media that the general store, which CL contributor Brad Kaplan last year said kept “one foot planted firmly in the past, and one stretching and tapping into the here and now,” would shut down at the end of December. Co-owner Brad Cunard told CL yesterday afternoon that the rumor was true but declined to comment further. Last night, the store posted this on its Facebook page:
In the comments, the store said its building, which dates back at least to the 1920s, “needs major repairs that building owner Leon just can’t supply. It has become impossible to continue without them.” In a later comment, the store said those include “a new roof, new bathrooms for the upstairs apartments, new siding, some foundation and drainage work, and other projects. I don’t have the funds to make this happen, and I’m pretty sure Leon is in no place to tackle these repairs.”
Fans of the store, which has a strong following in the neighborhood and across the city, have asked if a fundraiser or new investors could help the store keep its doors open. Little’s owners say they welcome suggestions and any help - including new jobs for the store’s current staff. Stay tuned.