What once was the popular student hub for grocery shopping, Dominick’s Fullerton Avenue location now lies deserted, forcing customers to look farther for healthy and affordable food options.
With the empty space, many DePaul students are traveling off campus to shop at stores such as Whole Foods, Jewel and Trader Joe’s.
Dominick’s served the DePaul and Lincoln Park community with its convenient location to campus and the Fullerton Red Line stop. Located under DePaul’s Centennial Hall, the university owns the building, and Dominick’s rented the space. Many customers feel the store was overpriced because of its proximity to campus.
Like many students, junior Danielle Tumilowicz, who resides on the Lincoln Park campus, is frustrated with having to switch out of her shopping comfort zone.
“Since it closed, I’ve been going to the Trader Joe’s and Aldi on Clybourn. It’s pretty reasonable,” she said. “But you would think since there are so many people who live on campus and in the area that (Dominick’s) would have enough customers to stay open.”
Since the majority of Lincoln Park’s campus housing consists of freshman, many have been relying on their required meal plans for their groceries.
DePaul offers a convenience store, ETC, located in the Student Center, which offers snacks, fruit and other necessities. Despite the closer, on-campus option, prices are typically higher since customers are mostly students with meal plans – leaving those who don’t have one with limited options.
Senior Kyle Gustafson takes public transportation to the nearest Jewel-Osco, located at Ashland and Wellington avenues.
“It’s a lot more affordable, but it’s such a hassle carrying back so many bags and heavy stuff,” he said. “I usually have to bring one or two of my friends along for the ride, which they’re never happy about.”
Junior Ali Lenti agreed.
“I have to beg my friends and roommates who have their cars with them at school to bring me to Trader Joe’s or Mariano’s,” Lenti said. “I just hope another grocery store goes in there so I don’t have to keep doing that.”
In October, Dominick’s parent company, Safeway Inc., announced it would close the doors of 57 locations, affecting more than 6,000 employees across the Chicago area.
According to reports, Jewel- Osco has purchased four stores and Mariano’s has claimed 11. However, neither company has given specifics on which stores they will be taking over, and the Fullerton Avenue location remains empty.
New owners of the space have not been finalized, and the store will likely be closed for a period of time for renovations, Carol Hughes, the director of the News and Information Bureau at DePaul said.
Until a confirmed buyer comes forward, Dominick’s will remain a ghost town forcing students and Lincoln Park residents to travel elsewhere for groceries.