PORT HURON, MI — Country Style Market announced on Thursday, May 28 that it will close its downtown Port Huron grocery store at the corner of Huron Avenue and Grand River Avenue this weekend.
Owners Steve Fernandez and Michele Jones announced on the business’s Facebook page that their grocery store at 310 Huron Ave. will close effective Saturday, May 30.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Country Style Market location in Downtown Port Huron,” the owners wrote. “Operating our stores in the Fort Gratiot Community as well as the Port Huron community has been both an honor and privilege.”
A sign posted on the store’s front door Thursday stated the business was “happy to head off to retirement” and thanked customers for their support over the years.
The closure marks the end of the boutique grocery store’s downtown operation, which opened in early 2022 inside the former Woolworth’s building following a multi-year redevelopment project.
Within hours of the announcement, more than 150 comments had been posted online, many thanking Fernandez and Jones for investing in downtown Port Huron and expressing sadness over the closure.
Several commenters also referenced the closure of the company’s former Fort Gratiot location, which shut down in 2023 as the owners consolidated operations into the downtown store.
At the time, Fernandez and Jones cited inflation and rising operating costs as reasons for consolidating the two stores.
“We appreciate Steve and Michele being part of downtown and everything they brought to the community,” Downtown Development Authority Director Lisa DeLong said.
DeLong said the owners worked to create the type of neighborhood market many residents hoped to see downtown. “We wish them the best, and they’ll always be part of our downtown family,” she said.
Steve Fernandez declined to comment when reached Thursday by the Times Herald.
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Country Style Market announces closure of downtown Port Huron store
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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