TKC BREAKING NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY EAST SIDE COMMUNITY UNREST BLAME GAME AFTER LEON'S THRIFTWAY SHUT DOWN!!!



Leon’s Thriftway shutting down after 51 years continues to spark a firestorm.

Even worse, social media beef and blame game has moved into the real world.

Here's what insiders are saying:

Longtime East Side Leader Pat Clarke and Activist Tony Caldwell have been debating the subject via social media for weeks. Now it seems the real world discussion between the two men has proven more serious and citations have been issued.

In fairness to the gentlemen, it's important to note that they BOTH have their supporters and detractors. The chatter on the topic has yielded many allegations about cash exchanges but the only thing we can PROVE and know for sure is that tensions have increased among EVERYONE who cares about fresh grocery access for the neighborhood. 

In a moment of clarity, all of the community seemed to resent both Jolie Justus AND Quinton Lucas taking a tour of the grocery store during its last days without offering any viable plan to keep the place open.

Now the war of words over grocery access escalates and worsens urban core political rivalry.

Developing . . .

Comments

  1. A remodel was in order for Leon's. The place needed to be modernized. And let's be honest about the store, please. Most of their profits came from a very extensive liquor section.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Obviously the store wasn't profitable so any attempt to keep it open would require a taxpayer subsidy and the resulting graft that goes with it. Better to ask the owner why a grocery store with no local competition can be unprofitable. I would guess merchandise shrinkage and area crime would be at the top of the list.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It’s really a sad situation. There are families that need local and close access to a decent grocery store, but who wants to open one up in these neighborhoods? Wasn’t too long ago there was a shooting at that new one. Young black men are the worst enemy in these areas. They don’t give a damn about anything but their mix tapes and their block.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pat Clarke has two pending cases one includes a weapons charge. Yet he's hosting a violent prevention weekend event on top of accepting $5,000 to sell the community out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ^^^^ GOOD COMMENT!

    ReplyDelete
  6. There is a whole list of stores that opened around the same time as this place did or before and they are still in business today. Mr. Stapleton's comments that the store fell on hard times and lack of keeping up with modernization projects through the years puzzles me. Did they not adapt to changes out of bullheadedness or were they sucking too much money out of the store supporting the whole family? If the area is so strapped for a decent grocery store then one would think the business would be there and operated correctly would have had the profits to keep it open. A small family owned grocery store I know of has been in business for 51 years in a small town with less people to pull from than Leon's had and they are still in business and have a really decent modern up to date store. Something does not add up here I know it isn't best area of town but thugs have to eat as well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 10:44 where are these charges filed at or about?

    ReplyDelete
  8. L. E. Phaunt6/3/19, 1:44 PM

    Eventually the fake fat revs will have to settle this. Then again maybe they are the ones fueling the fire.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shrinkage likely just shrunk the store right out of business. Maybe a fat reverend should sell his Escalade and open a store.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dave makes some good points I'm sure we will never see any answers to.

    ReplyDelete
  11. There is still such a thing as market saturation, and with the new Sunfresh store at Linwood and Prospect which has competitive prices and is clean and fully stocked, Leon's was just cut out of the market. I am puzzled by the way that people think that these private business decisions should somehow be determined by the community. The community does not have a real say so in whether a company stays in business or not. You have to being money to the table if you want to be in on the decision making process.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The building is in a perfect spot for a youth center.
    Take out the shelving and buy a generator for power.
    Leave the young folks to figure it out from there.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @2:12 a "private business decision" WAS "determined by the community" in Westport, the people shut Starshit's ass down!

    If the community residents really cared about their community and had supported Leon's then the City-funded Sunfresh would be out of business already.

    "Don't buy shoes, buy Shoe Stores"
    MLK

    ReplyDelete
  14. The City subsidizes Sunresh, so Leon's closes. The City subsidizes the P&L District, so Westport suffers. The damn city should just stay out of the picture and let the market work.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are three stores within two miles of this place, they’re not hurting one bit for grocery stores

    ReplyDelete
  16. Whoa, a topic on which I disagree with Super Dave? Yikes, probably only this one though. I lived near the Owner's of a small local grocery store. It was difficult for them, they operate on small margins to keep people coming in the door. A walmart came in and they lasted about 3 more years before shutting down. There was a nominal amount of loss through theft. The biggest problem was their purchasing power compared to WM. How does it relate to this one? Not much except I would assume their loss to theft is 10 - 15%. That would be enough to kill off the one I was familiar with. Their total margin was about 12% (about 4% right before they closed). I don't know the management at this store, but I would guess the theft is what did them in, not some family skimming on them.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

TKC COMMENT POLICY:

Be percipient, be nice. Don't be a spammer. BE WELL!!!

- The Management