Bidding Cleveland's most beautiful grocery store adieu

Driving the news: The location lost more than $18 million over its 11-year run inside the former Cleveland Trust rotunda, co-president Jeff Heinen told Signal Cleveland earlier this month.

• "That level of losses is not sustainable," Heinen said.

Between the lines: Public officials spent years trying to keep the store afloat.

• The city contributed $250,000 toward a store reconfiguration, while Cuyahoga County and Cleveland Development Advisors each provided $50,000 grants for downsizing and lease extensions.
• The county also funded a downtown retail marketing campaign highlighting Heinen's.

Reality check: These subsidies were a drop in the bucket, as it turned out.

Flashback: Downtown population numbers have long been overblown, but the store nevertheless became a symbol of a residential revival when it opened in 2015.

• Remote work and changing shopping habits accelerated Heinen's wildly imbalanced ledger.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: I ventured to Heinen's for an occasional soup or salad when I worked out of Scene's offices on Bolivar.

• In my experience, it was always more popular as a lunch and prepared-foods destination than a full grocery store.

• Constantino's in the Warehouse District obviously doesn't have the architectural cachet but seems like it might be a decent substitute in a pinch?

💭 Troy's thought bubble: Even as it prepares to close, you can see the potential that the downtown Heinen's location had.

• I just hope whatever moves in there is something that can thrive in such a cool building.

What's next: The location officially closes July 31.

• Downtown Cleveland Inc. says recruiting another grocery operator is a top priority and has partnered with consulting firm StreetSense to study the downtown grocery market.