Future of Gainesville Lucky’s Market remains unclear

While Lucky’s Market plans to close nearly all its Florida stores Feb. 12, recent reports indicate a potential new fate for the chain’s Gainesville location. 

According to a WCJB article, recent court filings show that Aldi’s Discount Grocers will purchase six Lucky’s Market stores, including the Gainesville location. An Aldi store currently sits at 3773 NW 13th St., about a mile away from the supermarket’s current location.

Lucky’s Gainesville store director Bill Muccio said he knows nothing about Aldi purchasing the store. As far as he’s aware, no one from the company has mentioned anything about it. 

“Nobody in our company is going to say anything, but Aldi may tell,” Muccio said. 

But according to The Tallahassee Democrat, Dan Gavin, the vice president for the National Real Estate of Aldi U.S., confirmed that the company “is acquiring several Lucky’s Market locations in Florida,” but wasn’t specific about where. 

Lucky’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, according to bankruptcy filing documents. However, The Alligator was unable to find court filings that show Aldi has already purchased the store’s lease. 

The Alligator reached out to Aldi representatives through email but were unable to get in touch as of publication Tuesday evening.

The store’s front-end supervisor, Eric Cheek, said he’s skeptical about the recent WCJB report. 

“I don’t think Aldi is moving,” Cheek said. “I don’t see any reason why they would want to move into that place. They have a brand new store location.”

Aldi opened its first store in Butler North in October 2016.

Lucky’s employees were notified of the store’s closure in an early morning staff meeting Jan. 21, Cheek said. On Sunday, they received notification of their termination dates. 

Cheek said that as of now, about 80 employees working at Lucky’s will lose their jobs. They will be gradually released from their positions until the store closes Feb. 12.

Like many others recently laid off by Lucky’s, Cheek is currently trying to find a new job somewhere in town. 

“I’ve got three or four applications out at the moment,” Cheek said. “Today’s my day off. I’m just sitting around waiting to hear from somebody.”

Muccio is currently working with the local Whole Foods Market, Fresh Market, Winn-Dixie and Publix stores to set up recruiting tables at Lucky’s for recently laid-off employees. The day of tabling has yet to be determined, he said. 

As for the speculation regarding the fate of the store, Muccio said he knows as much as anyone else. 

“Personally, I really don’t care, ‘cause we’re all out of jobs by Feb. 12,” Muccio said. 

Contact Sarah Mandile at smandile@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @sarahmandile. 

The shelves of Lucky’s Market, located at 1459 NW 23rd Ave., became bare after the store announced that it would close Feb. 12.