Tuesday, December 18, 2007

This news about the Hyde Park Co-Op got me thinking

That story has been swirling around the local media as of late got me thinking about neighborhood grocery options in the general neighborhood.

There isn't a shortage exactly. I noted a vid of a small-time grocer in the neighborhood on this blog and I read somewhere that he got his start by working for another neighborhood grocer, a man by the name of Ernest T. Collins. I'll get back to him in a minute.

Anyway there's a couple of groceries on 87th Jewel's and I believe Cub Foods. There's an Aldi's along the Dan Ryan expressway somewhere past 75th Street. Until the last couple or so years there was a Dominick's on 79th off the Dan Ryan.

I might be missing a few along the way but let's get back to Ernest T. Collins.

He owned and operated The Food Basket. He was even a founder of Seaway National Bank as this bust of him at the bank denotes. Apparently he had three stores in the area one at 87th and King Drive, which by the way was still a grocery store until recently when it became a dollar store, another on 103rd Street and King Drive, and another at 79th and Yates. BTW, I got this info from an article I found about Chatham Food Center owner Leonard Harris and his background. I don't know about the 79th and Yates location but 103rd and King Drive is still open today.

Anyway I'm sure there are other grocery options in the area that provides fresh fruits and vegetable not snacks such as Hostess cakes and Jays potato chips. I have no doubt that we're not in the midst of a food desert but I'm sure that I haven't listed every possible grocery store neighborhood owned or not that exists. Perhaps someone out there might have some ideas.

Here's that bust that I've referred to. Located at Seaway National Bank...



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