MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — A local neighborhood grocery store in North Waco will be shutting it’s doors at the end of this month.
The closure of Jubilee Food Market has left local residents grappling with the loss of their only nearby grocery store, raising concerns about access to essential goods and the impact on the community's daily life.
- Justina White relied on Jubilee Food Market for convenient access to essential items like milk and diapers, express concern over losing this resource, especially for those without vehicles
- Local residents, including Lilia Orta, voice their disappointment about the closure, highlighting the joy and relief the store provided to the community when it opened, as it was the only grocery option in the area at that time
- Jubilee Food Market opened in 2017 to address resource accessibility issues in North Waco, as identified by the non-profit Mission Waco
- There are now several alternative grocery options available to residents, including Poco Loco, La Michoacana meat market, H-E-B, and grocery curbside pickup and delivery services
- While Mission Waco acknowledges the need to shift resources to other projects, neighbors are left seeking alternative shopping locations, likely reverting to larger stores like H-E-B — the fate of the Jubilee building remains uncertain post-closure
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The White family is just one family who will be impacted by the upcoming closure of Jubilee Food Market on the corner of Colcord and 15th Street.
“It was wonderful because it’s walking distance we didn’t have a vehicle, so being able to walk right up the street and get the things that we needed was very helpful,” Justina White said.
Justina White has lived in North Waco since 2011, and since the Jubilee Market opened up, she’s been able to get her family’s needs less than half a mile away.
“Anything you really needed, the stores around here don’t really carry milk and diapers and things of that nature, Jubilee had everything we needed,” she said.
She’s not the only one — White says most of her neighbors frequent the store too.
“When we find out they open the store, we were happy, because we have something close to our house, I’m sad they want to close the store,” Lilia Orta said.
Jubilee first opened in 2017 after non-profit Mission Waco noticed the community lacked the access to resources in this specific part of town.
“When we opened up it was the only grocery store anywhere around here,” said Associate Executive Director of Advancement with Mission Waco, Carlos Hinojosa.
Hinojosa says now there are other options available in the area, like Poco Loco, La Michoacana meat market, H-E-B, and grocery curbside pickup and delivery.
"This was not a decision that came easily or lightly, we are constantly evaluating our programs and what we do,” he said.
Hinojsa says Mission Waco is going to be allocating their resources to their several other projects, so with the stores finals days coming soon, 25 News Reporter Dominique Leh asked neighbors where they will go now.
“Go back to H-E-B” said Orta.
“I don’t know — we’re just going to have to find another store to shop at,” White said.
The last day the Jubilee Market is open will be March 31 — Mission Waco does not know just yet what will take over the building.
As for the workers at Jubilee Food Market, Hinojosa said they will still have jobs within Mission Waco.
