Save-A-Lot owner asks city for money amid closure, customers raise concerns

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) — Customers at Save-A-Lot in Broadway Market were greeted with a locked door and a piece of computer paper indicating the store’s closure Wednesday.

Customers and Mitch Nowakowski, Buffalo’s Fillmore District Councilman, are fed up, and the owner isn’t convinced the “Open” sign will be put back up unless the city cuts him a check.

“You should try to find a solution, but if he’s acting ridiculous, leave him alone and get someone else,” said Save-A-Lot regular Orin Holliday. “But if he’s fair and honest, help him stay.”

Store owner Ronald Horrigan is $60,000 behind on rent and recently closed his store, saying a rise in shoplifting since the pandemic was to blame.

Horrigan said the only way the matter could work was if the city of Buffalo intervened.

“The city doesn’t have a lot of money either, so I’m sure they could find what I’m looking for if they really wanted to,” he said.

Nowakowski disputed Horrigan’s reason for closing – alleged thefts – in an interview with News 4 last month. At the time, Nowakowski said the market had not informed the city of its closure plans or communicated what it needed to keep the business alive.

Since the city gave downtown’s struggling Braymiller Market a $500,000 interest-free loan last year, Horrigan believes he should be considered for something similar.

“I’m asking for about three-quarters of what Braymiller got,” he said.

Nowakowski pointed out that the Braymiller loan was issued with leftover COVID relief funds.

Horrigan and Nowakowski agree on one thing: They are not confident about Save-A-Lot’s future.

“The city, the market manager, has not negotiated with him, but they’ve kind of fizzled out, so I really want to stop the nonsense at this point,” Nowakowski said. “If you want to leave, please notify the city of Buffalo of your departure and we will move forward.”

Broadway Fillmore residents said they want more options for affordable grocery shopping in their neighborhood, and the uncertainty about Save-A-Lot’s future does nothing to solve that problem.

“As long as they give us a market or give a market to those who don’t have a market, someone else should come,” said Helen Kirksey, a Save-A-Lot customer. “If they don’t want to pay, they can’t stay.”

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Patrick Ryan is an award-winning reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2020. You can find more of his work here And follow him on Twitter.

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