A Foodtown grocery, which will bring a New York City-style bodega to 1500 Washington St. E, on ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's East End, is shown on Friday, May 23, 2025. The new store is under renovation and an opening date has not been set.
A Foodtown grocery, which will bring a New York City-style bodega to 1500 Washington St. E, on ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's East End, is shown on Friday, May 23, 2025. The new store is under renovation and an opening date has not been set.
SIERRA MARLING | Gazette-Mail
A vacant building on ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s East End is getting new life — and it could help address a persistent need for fresh produce and healthier food options in the neighborhood.
A sign for Foodtown, a mid-Atlantic-based regional grocery store chain, recently appeared on the former Gino’s building at 1500 Washington St. E.
The store is owned by Ray Shahbain, a New York City transplant who said he’s bringing the flavor and convenience of an upscale bodega to the area — complete with fresh deli sandwiches, fried chicken and everyday groceries. Bodegas are known in larger cities as small, locally owned grocery stores that serve neighborhood residents.
“I’m a mom-and-pop [type of business owner]. I’m not one of those big-box stores,†Shahbain said. “This is my bread and butter. If you ever walk into my store, I want to make sure you get good customer service and go the extra mile.â€
Shahbain said the store will offer a wide variety of items — "everything from an umbrella to a cup of coffee" — and will carry goods like soda, beer, cigarettes and a full grocery line at prices he said he believes will beat the nearby gas stations East End residents often rely on.
"I'm trying to give [East End residents] a service they don't have," Shahbain said. "Something to brighten up the neighborhood."Â
He’s still completing renovations but hopes to open in the next couple of months. It will be the first Foodtown grocery store in West Virginia.
Meeting a long-term community need
Ric Cavender, executive director of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Urban Works, called the project “a step in the right direction†toward solving the East End’s long-standing food access issues.
In 2010, his organization — then ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä East End Main Street — commissioned a feasibility study for a full-service grocery store in the area. The study estimated that the neighborhood was losing $7 million annually in grocery spending to other parts of the city.
Cavender said he believes the area hasn't had a grocery store since the early 2000s.
“Economically speaking, a grocery store would be beneficial,†Cavender said.
Transportation access remains a barrier for many residents, he added. During “front-porch focus groups,†his team found that many people either walked long distances to shop or called taxis to get to stores like Kroger or Piggly Wiggly, formerly Foodland.
This is an ongoing struggle for East End residents, such as Angel Bee, who face difficulties in accessing groceries because of a lack of transportation.
She said getting groceries has been even harder for her since KRT buses no longer run on Sundays. Other options, such as Uber and Lyft, have gotten more expensive, she said. Drop-off orders from grocery chains have gone up in price, too — plus, Bee noted, you have to contend with orders possibly being incorrect or stolen.
While ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Urban Works' past attempts to recruit major grocery chains were unsuccessful — largely because of companies seeking larger lots — Cavender said he sees Shahbain’s store as a much-needed service for the community.
Bee said she's concerned about sustainability, in pricing and in how the community receives the store.
"I'm hoping prices will be reasonable and people will continue to respect the area and not run off what can be a good opportunity for those who can't either afford or get around as well for the East End community," she said.
