Sullivan’s Supervalu

Finally, a real grocery store in Whittier! Sullivan’s recently reopened after a new owner (well-​known regional Supervalu franchise, Jerry’s) took control of an aging store.
A quick background-​I moved to Whittier in November, visited Sullivan’s, and was unimpressed. The store was dirty, the selection was almost non-​existent. Prices were in fact comparable to a gas station convenience store. Keep reading.
I am DELIGHTED to say that it’s all in the past. Since the opening, we now have a clean, we’ll-stocked, and reasonably priced grocery store in our neighborhood. No need to drive into Uptown to the always-​busy Rainbow or the woefully-​overpriced Lund’s.
I’ve visited 10 times in the past couple of weeks, and I can reasonably attest that Sullivan’s has what I need at the right price. It has all the store brands that one finds at Cub, plus an extensive collection of ethnic foods, and perhaps the most complete meat selection in a TC grocery store. They have discontinued the fresh in-​store bakery and deli, but quality local goods are delivered daily. Let me say it again-​they have everything you need, and the prices are finally competitive. The service is improving, the store is absolutely sparkling, and I’m so happy that I can walk to a real grocery store.
The shopping experience is kind of a blast from the past; no self-​checkouts, the old metal fold-​up carts, etc. It doesn’t bother me, and as a certified grocery geek, I think it’s kind of charming. Also, they seem to have invested in more parking lot lighting. It’s very bright and welcoming in the evening. Adding to the charm are the taco trucks that frequent the Sullivan’s lot.
The rumor is that this shopping complex (Kmart and Sullivan’s) is soon going to be razed and replaced with some other retail. I will shop Sullivan’s diligently to help prove that the need for grocery is indeed thriving in Whittier!

Back when I was a white suburban kid being unjustifiably terrorized by silly stories about the dangers of ghettos, where death awaited every white person who tragically wandered into one, this might have been the kind of place that might have scared or intrigued me. When I go, there is the ubiquitous small group of black men hanging out front (or inside if it’s really cold).
I’ve never known what it is they do there, but my imagination takes hold, fueled by mid-​20^th century genre of sociological «street-​corner» field studies, where grad students hung out with unemployed black men, kicking back, bantering, and drinking malt liquor (I wanted to be that researcher).
Anyway, it’s just a grocery store, and a cheap one at that. It caters mostly to black and Latino nearby residents, and hosts a very nice variety of foods for Latino immigrants. There is produce you will never find at any other major grocery store in SW Mpls. I appreciate the day old bakery rack, and that you always have a bagger (for what they are paying them it’s probably no big strain for Supervalu).
If you worry about getting parking when you shop, don’t. This is a unbelievably large parking lot that they share with K-​Mart, it is vast, dark, and very nice meth addicts used to hang out far away by the Lake St. entrance.