Waterbury’s North End is welcoming a new supermarket after decades without an established grocery store.
Food Universe Marketplace, located at 96 Grove St., opened on October 9, and has plans for a grand opening in late October to early November.
The store manager, Miguel Suncar, said the community has welcomed the store with open arms as nearby residents described the area as a food desert.
“The customers all the time, they tell me, great store and thank you because they don’t have any stores near here. They’re super excited, Suncar said.
At Food Universe Marketplace, customers can find a wide variety of products from fresh produce, to fresh seafood, meats, and poultry, plus international items, as they look to cater to as many cultures as possible, Suncar said.
The building at 96 Grove St. was once home to C-Town Supermarket, but has remained closed since the early 2000s after C-Town burned down, according to Waterbury Economic Development Director Joe McGrath.
McGrath added the 13,000-square-foot building was built in 2016, but due to legal issues between a landlord and tenant, the supermarket’s opening kept on getting delayed.
On Monday, Anne Walker was one of the many people shopping at Food Universe. She believes having a closer option will help nearby residents in the long run.
“People that live close by, they won’t have to Uber or spend excess money that they don’t have. They can come from across the street and get the same thing they would get at a Stop & Shop or any other store.”
Gary Hall, who has lived in the North End for 15 years, said the supermarket has been a long time coming.
“We’re basically downtown, everything is maybe like 10-15 miles away, and this is the best option in the city,” Hall said.
Dining and Cooking