The Congress Avenue staple of central Austin shopping, Royal Blue Grocery, is slated to shut its doors this June after 17 years of service. According to CBS Austin, the local market chain has decided to cease operations at its downtown location, with the last day being June 13.
In a turn of events that underscores the challenges small businesses can face amidst fluctuating urban landscapes, George Scariano, a co-owner of Royal Blue Grocery, revealed that the store failed to secure a lease extension. As reported by KXAN, another tenant has been found for the coveted Sixth Street and Congress Avenue space. This comes despite the store's history as a strong performer within the company's portfolio.
The fixture of Austin's shopping scene has been grappling with declining sales for roughly the last three years, which preceded the pandemic's onset. Scariano noted that public safety issues in the downtown area exacerbated these struggles. "Royal Blue's Congress Avenue location opened 15 years ago and was the company’s best-performing store for a while, but sales began falling about three years before the pandemic as public safety levels in the downtown area started to deteriorate," Scariano told KXAN.
Furthermore, sales currently hover at about 60% to 70% of what they were before the pandemic, demonstrating the sustained impact of these downtown safety and health crises. In efforts to keep the business afloat, Scariano had previously sought rent relief. This setback comes after Scariano himself was the victim of an assault last year, highlighting the personal risk and emotional toll inherent in maintaining such an establishment in a changing urban environment.
