Midtown Market Gets a Makeover
By Greg Williams | MicroMemphis Reporter
posted March 18, 2013
March 7, 2013 - It’s a small store that’s going through some big changes. Midtown Market is not only remodeling and updating the store inside and out, but also redoing the way it does business. New store owner Kevin Park and his family are transforming an outdated convenience store into a cleaner, more upscale market.
“I wanted to turn this place into a place that would bring the people back,” he said. “But first, we had to make this place more friendly to people, and a safer place to shop.”
He wasn’t kidding. When Park took over the shop at the beginning of this year, the first priority was to make sure the store had good food to sell. To say that the store had some work to do in this area, would be putting it lightly. “I went through all the shelves and in storage, and threw out over $5,000 worth of spoiled food,” Park said. “I saw my son with a candy bar and I grabbed it, and I noticed that it had expired. There was a lot of food on the shelves, and in the back that was the same.”
But Park didn’t just limit the improvements to the indoors; he also worked on the parking lot. “There was a telephone booth outside, and I mean, who uses payphones nowadays? So I got rid of that, and put a clothing donation box there,” he said. “Why not put something there that would be good for the community?”
The Cooper-Young community was an inspiration to Park to better his store for his customers. “I recently went to a community meeting, the people of Cooper-Young spoke, and basically…we listened. I know how important it is for people to be healthy, and we wanted to promote their way of life,” he explained. “Beginning March 11, we will have fresh produce, meats and deli available. We’ll also be carrying a food line that is more wholesome, and has no preservatives.”
The store was recently in the news when it was trying to retain their beer license — which they recently did. “We can all celebrate again,” Park said, laughing. He made sure to mention that fact to the customers as they left the store. “Looking back, we lost about $10,000 in sales in February because we couldn’t sell it.”
Responding to customer requests, Park has been stocking Midtown Market’s coolers with a selection of hundreds of craft beers, including Memphis’ own Ghost River.
The customers have also taken notice of the improvements to the store. One of the regulars, who wanted to be called simply Mr. Garrold, prefers this store over others, even those that are closer to his house.
“I live just up the street, but I pass by a couple stores on my way here. They’re just better here. The amount of work they’ve put into it in such a short time … it’s turned out pretty good.”
Park also has his sights set on the future. “I’d love to open more stores. That’s my main goal for the future. I’d want to try to open a few more stores right here in the Midtown and Cooper-Young area.”
The shop is now a family-owned business, and joins many others in the neighborhood. From the local food brands and Memphis restaurants they promote, to their build-your-own six packs of beer, Midtown Market is revitalizing their image and Park and his family invite everyone to see what’s in store.
To see more about Midtown Market’s battle for beer, visit www.memphisflyer.com.
“I wanted to turn this place into a place that would bring the people back,” he said. “But first, we had to make this place more friendly to people, and a safer place to shop.”
He wasn’t kidding. When Park took over the shop at the beginning of this year, the first priority was to make sure the store had good food to sell. To say that the store had some work to do in this area, would be putting it lightly. “I went through all the shelves and in storage, and threw out over $5,000 worth of spoiled food,” Park said. “I saw my son with a candy bar and I grabbed it, and I noticed that it had expired. There was a lot of food on the shelves, and in the back that was the same.”
But Park didn’t just limit the improvements to the indoors; he also worked on the parking lot. “There was a telephone booth outside, and I mean, who uses payphones nowadays? So I got rid of that, and put a clothing donation box there,” he said. “Why not put something there that would be good for the community?”
The Cooper-Young community was an inspiration to Park to better his store for his customers. “I recently went to a community meeting, the people of Cooper-Young spoke, and basically…we listened. I know how important it is for people to be healthy, and we wanted to promote their way of life,” he explained. “Beginning March 11, we will have fresh produce, meats and deli available. We’ll also be carrying a food line that is more wholesome, and has no preservatives.”
The store was recently in the news when it was trying to retain their beer license — which they recently did. “We can all celebrate again,” Park said, laughing. He made sure to mention that fact to the customers as they left the store. “Looking back, we lost about $10,000 in sales in February because we couldn’t sell it.”
Responding to customer requests, Park has been stocking Midtown Market’s coolers with a selection of hundreds of craft beers, including Memphis’ own Ghost River.
The customers have also taken notice of the improvements to the store. One of the regulars, who wanted to be called simply Mr. Garrold, prefers this store over others, even those that are closer to his house.
“I live just up the street, but I pass by a couple stores on my way here. They’re just better here. The amount of work they’ve put into it in such a short time … it’s turned out pretty good.”
Park also has his sights set on the future. “I’d love to open more stores. That’s my main goal for the future. I’d want to try to open a few more stores right here in the Midtown and Cooper-Young area.”
The shop is now a family-owned business, and joins many others in the neighborhood. From the local food brands and Memphis restaurants they promote, to their build-your-own six packs of beer, Midtown Market is revitalizing their image and Park and his family invite everyone to see what’s in store.
To see more about Midtown Market’s battle for beer, visit www.memphisflyer.com.