Westside Sparkle Closing

[Towntalk]

In my advanced years, and state of health I am not fortunate to get out much, and see just what is available like some folks, and am only familiar with Giant Eagle and Save-A-Lot. As far as Walmart's grocery department is concerned I can't speak to that. I do know that over the years I got to know one of the butchers at Giant Eagle, like myself an old timer who in his younger years had his own butcher shop ... the man is in his early 80's and still working, and he's gotten to know what I like in the way of meat, and will prepare special cuts for me. Also I usually order $20.00 worth of ground chuck at a time, and he gets it within a couple of pennies of the $20.00 either over or under, and the meat department at Giant Eagle usually has a buy one get one free that allows me to get enough for six meals, so between Save-A-Lot and Giant Eagle, I can fill the freezer section of my frig with meat.

My biggest gripe with all the stores including Giant Eagle and Save-A-Lot is the outrageous prices of hot dogs and bacon. My favorite Sunday breakfast is bacon, eggs, toast, coffee and a glass of orange juice, but with the price of bacon, I can only have it when there is a sale.

Save-A-Lot has Sugerdale Bacon packaged in three pound packages for a reasonable price so I get that and repackage it so that I can split it to get enough for four meals ... enough to get me through the month and freeze most of it.

[iwasthere]

towntalk i appreciate the info about save a lot's in house butcher. i shop at either rulli's or catullo's for my fresh meats. i now have an option for three in store butchers in town. is there any other ytown stores that have in store butchers.

[Towntalk]

Bottom Dollar is a FOREIGN company based in Belgem. How many of the products that they will be peddling are MADE IN AMERICA? When shopping at Save-A-Lot at least they handel MADE IN AMERICA products. By the way, the Union Square Save-A-Lot has an IN HOUSE butcher, their meat is really good and they have 5 packages of meat for $20.00 specials. You can't beat that. I can get a whole month's meals out of them.

[northside lurker]

Bad news for me too.  I had heard about this earlier this week, but didn't realize they would be closing so soon.

THIS IS JUST A RUMOR, but I heard that Bottom Dollar orchestrated some kind of financial agreement with the owner of this Sparkle, to minimize competition with their new store.

[jay]

This is bad news for me.  I often took the bus to this Sparkle Market. 

There is no direct bus service from my neighborhood to the Bottom-Dollar Store.

[Towntalk]

The city of Youngstown may be gaining three Bottom Dollar Food stores in the next few weeks, but a longtime grocery staple on the West Side will close Feb. 13.

Sparkle Market at the corner of Belle Vista and Mahoning Avenue will downsize from a full-scale grocery store and become more of a convenience store no longer bearing the Sparkle name, according to a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880. The store has been at that location since 1960.

The union spokesman said the union was notified of the change by the store owner. The store employs 27 people and the UFCW will be entering into discussions with the owner to review the contractual rights and entitlements of the members who work in the store.

At this point, it does appear that some employees will be permanently laid off, but the union does not yet know the number. Some members of the local union will continue working for the owner in the new convenience store format, the spokesman said.

Because each Sparkle Market is independently owned and operated, the union contract only covers employees at the West Side location, so employees have no right to transfer to another location. However, the union spokesman said Local 880 will do its best to place experienced members in other area Sparkle stores.

Bottom Dollar Foods will open locations in the Mahoning Plaza, at 890 E. Midlothian Blvd. and at 2649 Glenwood Ave. on Feb. 9. Local 880 has informational pickets at the Midlothian location advising the public that Bottom Dollar is a non-union operation.

Bottom Dollar currently has 29 stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Youngstown locations will be the first in Ohio.