Pogue Run Closing Leaves Indianapolis Area a Food Desert

Pogue's Run Grocer will close its doors Monday after eight years of serving the near eastside as one of the only grocery stores within a mile-and-a-half radius. The area is considered a food desert.

Interim General Manager Francis Krug said he tried to postpone this closing with plans to work with alternative vendors and lower prices.

"I changed things in the store to reflect customers desires, but inevitably it was too little too late and there wasn’t enough participation of people coming and learning about those changes," Krug said, "and we just started seeing a sharper and sharper decline in sales."

The grocer served a community that traveled primarily by foot. Krug said Pogue's Run Gorcer's closure is a huge loss for the community.

"Even in its flaws, it still offered a community space and a place for people to get what they need within walking distance," Krug said.

Pogue's Run Grocer will close its store a final time at 7 p.m., Monday, and will sell its remaining product at a discounted price to help pay its outstanding debt with vendors and staff.