Cooper’s Foods to close at the end of June
A cornerstone of the West End for over three decades, Cooper’s Foods, 633 West 7th, is closing its doors for good on June 27.
“It was a difficult decision, but I am 76 and Gary is 77,” said Sandy Cooper, who owns the store along with her husband Gary. “There is certainly upkeep and work that needs to be done at the store. We just do not have the energy or financial means to continue at the store.”
Opened in 1992 near West 7th and St. Clair Avenue, Cooper’s was part of a locally owned chain of grocery stores, reaching seven stores at its peak. The West 7th store is the last remaining location.
The original Chaska store, which opened in 1917, closed in March of this year after 107 years of operation by the same family – Gary Cooper’s grandparents founded the original shop.
Recent years have been hard on local grocery stores and the business began to shrink over the years. Cooper’s second West 7th location in Sibley Plaza closed in 2017.
There’s no word yet on what will happen with the building that has housed the community grocer.
Sandy Cooper said the store will have reduced hours until their June 27 closing, remaining open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. She said they have already begun to discount items to close out their inventory and expects that discounts will increase as they get closer to the final date.
