NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After being closed for six months, the Kroger on Rosa Parks Boulevard and Monroe Street has reopened its doors — and for many North Nashville residents, it’s a moment they’ve been waiting for.
When the store shut down for renovations earlier this year, it put many in the neighborhood in a tough spot. Without a nearby grocery store, residents had to drive farther to shop — and for those without reliable transportation, that was especially difficult. Some relied on public transit or turned to the nearby food bank, Inspiritus, for help.
“I just come down here to talk with some of the workers or security guards — pretty much everybody knows me,” said Charlie Jones, a longtime Kroger shopper. “Us older folks, we don’t have a way of getting around or transportation to go to other stores, so we always depended on this Kroger.”
Other shoppers, like Phyllis McMillian, said the closure meant traveling much farther to get groceries. “I had to go way out. I used to shop at the Charlotte Kroger, then I’d go to the one on Clarksville Highway,” she said. “But it’s been hard because I live right down the road from here.”
To support those without transportation, Kroger continued its partnership with Inspiritus, donating and delivering food throughout the renovation period.
“They filled that gap we were missing when Kroger wasn’t here — with fresh vegetables and meat and so on and so forth,” Jones said.
Now, after a $22 million investment, the store is back — bigger and better than before. The remodel includes expanded aisles, new amenities, and a greater variety of products.
“Germantown really needed this,” said shopper Alexis Klein, who lives nearby. “There wasn’t a great grocery store close by. The other options were kind of small.”
For many, the reopening means more than convenience — it’s a sign of investment in their community.
“Sometimes when you have areas like this, people overlook the importance of us wanting a nice, clean place to shop — and Kroger has done that for us,” McMillian said.
And for Jones, who stopped by just to take in the changes, it’s a welcome sight. “I just love it,” he said. “It’s beautiful. Looks nice.”
As part of the celebration, Kroger donated $5,000 to Inspiritus to help continue its mission of serving local families. The reopening also brought 50 new jobs to the store and introduced Grocery Pickup, giving shoppers more ways to get what they need close to home.
This story was reported by reporter Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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