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'It's a gut punch': Fields Foods abruptly closes Pagedale store

The grocery store opened up in north St. Louis County four months ago. It was supposed to help serve a community that's considered a "food desert."

PAGEDALE, Mo. — A grocery store in north St. Louis County is now closed, just months after opening. 

Fields Foods in Pagedale abruptly shut its doors on Wednesday, July 19.

Chris Krehmeyer, Beyond Housing President and CEO, described it as 'awful.'

"It's a gut punch," he said.

Many in the community agreed but claimed the writing was on the wall. 

Faye Millett, Pagedale Mayor Pro Tempore, said after the grand opening they just knew something wasn't right.

Now, the community that's considered a "food desert" is looking for what's next.

"It's awful. There's nothing good about it," Krehmeyer said.

Red signs now cover the doors of Fields Foods in Pagedale with writing in bold reading, 'The grocery store will reopen under new ownership and management along with a new look.'

"It was a surprise," Millett said.

Just four months ago, on March 21, the community was celebrating the opening of the grocery store.

Now Krehmeyer is trying to figure out what's next.

"We know we're going to find somebody who's going to be able to come in, provide good service and make some money," he said.

Krehmeyer is the President and CEO of Beyond Housing. His organization owns the building that Fields Foods was located in, and they were housing the grocery store rent-free.

"We said, look, come to this community, provide a good service, and then we'll figure out once you reach a profitable point, everything above that we'll share," he said.

Beyond Housing brought the grocer in after the community was without a store for nearly two years since Save A Lot shuttered its doors in November 2021, according to Krehmeyer.

"If the St. Louis region is going to be everything that we want it to be once and for all, we have to invest in the places and the people that have been left behind for far too long," he said.

As someone who shopped there, Millett noticed a troubling trend from the beginning.

"The shelves started getting bare and the amounts of food and things available in the vegetables and meat were getting scarce and it continued on expiring down, and that's how we knew that something was wrong," she said.

Now that it's shut down, according to Millett, the closest store is miles away in University City.

"Many of us don't have the transportation or the resources to go elsewhere. We should have that opportunity to make that choice," she said.

An opportunity that Millett said is a necessity for her beloved town.

"We deserve the same opportunities other municipalities have," she said.

As for what's next, Krehmeyer said they are hoping to make an announcement within one week that something else is coming. 

"I'm confident that this community can support a grocery store. We've got to find the right operator," he said.

5 On Your Side reached out to Fields Foods for comment, but never got a response.

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