- Dollar Fresh Market at 30th & State in Florence will close Oct. 13, the second local grocery store to shut down this year.
- Neighbors Rachel and Sean Sjn say the closure feels like a “sucker punch” and leaves fewer healthy food options.
- Hy-Vee did not provide a reason for the closure but confirmed it is not theft-related.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m North Omaha Neighborhood Reporter Melissa Wright.
I have confirmed that the Dollar Fresh Market, owned by Hy-Vee, at 30th and State will close on October 13.
For months, I’ve reported on the challenges of North Omaha losing grocery stores and becoming more of a food desert. Neighbors in Florence say they are also feeling the effects, as this is now the second grocery store in the community to close this year.
Rachel and Sean Sjn have lived in Florence for five years. They say this store is where they come several times a week—whether it’s to pick up a small item or do their full grocery shopping.
Rachel says she feels like Florence is a forgotten community.
“The convenience stores really don’t have the healthier options for people to buy and so it’s like make the junk food cheaper and the healthier food more expensive— it doesn’t make it more accessive for people to have healthier lives.”
Sean says he wishes he knew why the store was closing.
“Wow— it’s kinda a sucker punch to us like 'wow what did we do wrong? It’s kind of almost like a personal attack to us because like did we not support you well enough?”
The couple says it’s not just about the inconvenience of having to drive farther for groceries—it’s also about the loss of jobs and the relationships they’ve built with employees over the years.
I reached out to Hy-Vee for a direct answer on why the store is closing. The company did not give a direct explanation but did confirm it is not theft-related.
In North Omaha, I’m Melissa Wright.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
