A local supermarket is scaling back its presence in the Greater Houston grocery market … again. Food Town’s Deer Park store at 3322 Center St. will be closing by the end of the year and reportedly be renovated into a fitness center.
Deer Park Economic Development (DPED) posted the news Tuesday on Facebook, sharing that the store manager confirmed Food Town’s corporate office made the decision to close the Houston-area store when its lease expires Dec. 24 due to rising rent and underperformance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to DPED’s post, the new tenant is allegedly a U.S.-based fitness brand with more than 500 locations. Meanwhile, Food Town is working on placing the Deer Park store manager and bakery manager at one of its other locations around the area.
Food Town hasn’t publicly announced the store’s closure, but an employee at the Deer Park store confirmed to Chron that it will be shutting down Dec. 24. Food Town’s corporate office has yet to respond to Chron’s request for comment.
Food Town launched its first store in 1994 in Pasadena, with the goal of offering national-brand products, quality meats and fresh produce at competitive prices. Since, the independent neighborhood grocer has grown to multiple locations around the Houston area. According to the company website, there are 25 still open in the area.
But the Deer Park closure will mark the fifth in Southeast Texas in two years, with the previous most recent being the Sugar Land location at 1130 Eldridge Road, Chron previously reported. Other recent shutterings were in Baytown, Houston and Webster.
Dining and Cooking