CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Dave's Markets will soon open a new location in Cleveland Heights, the fifth-generation family-owned business announced in a news release.
"We are excited to announce that Dave’s will acquire Zagara’s Marketplace on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights," a post on its Facebook page read.
The new store will reopen as a Dave's Market on Saturday, Oct. 29.
“Moving our operation from Cedar-Fairmount to the Zagara’s location on Lee Road will allow us to continue providing customers with the best possible service, selection and prices in a large location with amazing potential,” said owner David Saltzman. “The Lee Road store was built to be a family-owned operation and I’m happy to say it will stay that way."
The Cedar-Fairmount location will close on Oct. 25. The Severance Town Center store will remain open.
Zagara’s, one of the last independent grocers in Cuyahoga County, moved to Cleveland Heights in 1988.
“There are very few large, single-location independent grocery stores left in the U.S. With limited buying power and the inability to scale-up operations in the same way a larger chain can, it’s always been a challenge to be competitive and profitable. With the help of my talented managers and employees, and the tremendous support of our loyal customers, we’ve been successful. But anyone operating a business today knows that the current environment provides unprecedented challenges. By transitioning our store to the Dave’s family, we are assuring local ownership continues for the business we worked so hard to build," John Zagara, owner and operator, said in the news release.
Saltzman said the new Cleveland Heights location would stay true to Zagara's customers.
“We’re going to rebrand the new location as Dave’s Market and Eatery. Zagara’s customers will continue to find the items they’ve always shopped for and more. In order to minimize customer disruption from the beginning, the store layout will be similar and customers can look forward to finding items they were accustomed to plus an expanded variety. Additional Day One enhancements will include extended hours across the store, Grandpa Dave’s famous fried chicken, made-to-order hot sandwiches, freshly squeezed orange juice, a new meat counter and more deli offerings," Saltzman said in the release.
The two companies also said all of the Dave's employees at the Cedar-Fairmount store would be offered jobs at the Cleveland Heights location or other stores. Additionally, employees of Zagara’s will be offered jobs with Dave’s.
Store updates and renovations are planned for the Cleveland Heights store in 2023. They include updates to décor, lighting and flooring, as well as enhancements to individual departments.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to leave the Zagara legacy and the Lee Road store that I built in the hands of the Saltzman family. It will be an exciting place to shop and I wish them every success as they make their vision for it a reality,” Zagara said in the release.
For more information on Dave's, click HERE.
Editor's Note: The following video is from a previous, unrelated report.
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