Salem’s Market and Grill is temporarily pausing its operations in the Hill District location. The grocery store at 1850 Centre Ave. has been open for a little over a year and came as a great relief for the predominantly Black neighborhood, which had been without a grocery store since the Shop ‘n Save closed in March 2019.
The opening was met with a great amount of optimism.
Owner Abduallah Salem announced the pause at a community meeting Tuesday presented by The Hill District Collaborative and The Hill District Consensus Group at ACH Clear Pathways Kauffman Center. He said he came to the meeting asking for assistance in receiving more support from the Hill District community.
Salem declined to comment for this story.
Thefts were cited as one of the reasons, as was support from the community.
“The store is just too big for the niche offerings, and it is also neighborhood stuff,” said store manager Ariel Ventura. “A lot of stealing has taken place. I had to call the cops yesterday.”
But the theft is part of a larger issue that reflects the lack of resources in the Hill District and the constant divestment often seen in many Black communities, according to Dr. Alexus Brown, senior social scientist at The Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh.
“There’s a lack of resources that leads to higher crime rates. There has been a lot of divestment from the Hill … yes, there is a food distribution at Nafasi tomorrow, but that is not enough,” Brown said. “It’s not the fault of the people doing the stealing. Yes, that is bad, but the solution isn’t to take away more. Prices have gone up with inflation, and people need help.”
The decision to pause was made in partnership with the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
“Our team is simultaneously considering the community’s needs and will continue to work with partners to seek opportunities for inclusive economic growth in the neighborhood,” the URA said in a statement on Wednesday.
On Thursday afternoon, the market was still open, though the shelves were starting to empty — merchandise was being taken from the Hill District location to the Strip District location, which had previously closed to direct all efforts to the Hill District store.
The Strip District location recently reopened.
Hill District resident Te’Quoya Frison was shocked when she heard about the closing Thursday afternoon. She was upset about the pause because of the store’s convenience — it is only a short distance from her home.
“It’s sad because some people are really haters and just want to steal,” Frison said.
“The prices are OK and affordable … Some people say they’re high, but they are comparing it to Giant Eagle, and you can’t do that,” Frison said, adding that the quality of food is great, and there is a variety of options. She has really taken a liking to the meat offered.
“With the ground beef and lamb, I am looking for the fat-to-protein ratio of 80:20, it’s fresh,” she said.
Munib Zuhoori works with Hello Neighbor, a nonprofit organization helping refugees and immigrants with resettlement. Zuhoori traveled from North Versailles to Salem’s in the Hill on Thursday for a shopping trip.
“This is very upsetting about the closing. It’s a big store, and they have a lot of cultural things,” he said.
Zuhoori is a longtime customer and helps provide food for families.
“I can find African, Haitian, Pakistani food for families … and the halal meat for Muslim people. There’s a lot of value in this store,” he said.“I was very unhappy when I heard of this.”
The store will stop operations next week and currently has reduced hours, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to an employee.
How long the store will be closed is unclear.