South Columbia Gerbes to close this Saturday

Patrons picked through the last remaining items of the Gerbes grocery store on Nifong Boulevard in push carts. The store will close its doors at the end of the day on Saturday, ending a nearly 20-year run at the corner of Nifong Boulevard and Providence Road.

The store’s closing leaves Jay Lindner, president of Lindner Properties, looking for a new tenant earlier than expected. Gerbes at first said it would close its store at the end of the year, but Lindner said a quick exodus of employees there moved up that move-out date to September.

Lindner told ABC 17 News that the cost of remodeling or redeveloping the property was a main factor in both his and Gerbes’ decision not to renew the lease.

“When you have flooring that’s 20 years old and [fixtures] that haven’t been replaced, it’s hard to compete with the new kid of the block,” Lindner said.

Sheila Lowrire, a spokeswoman for The Kroger Company, said all employees had been offered a job at another store in the area.

Lindner said he was negotiating a possible lease with another company at the store in the Nifong Shopping Center. While he would not specify which companies he was speaking with, he said the open real estate provided a new opportunity for the area.

“We’re really excited about the fact that we’re going to have one or potentially multiple new businesses come into that corner that could bring new life to southeast Columbia,” Lindner said.

A handful of other businesses have closed along the stretch of Nifong Boulevard and Grindstone Parkway. Babbo’s Spagghetteria and Pita Pit recently closed its doors near WalMart.

Lindner said that commercial property owners are dealing with a changing business. Restaurants, especially those part of a chain, can prove difficult without support from the company.

“The stronger brands and the ones that reinvest in their brands and the customer experience are performing well and continuing to expand,” Lindner said.

The Unviersity of Missouri’s resurgence in enrollment is a positive sign for Columbia, Lindner said, but the state’s slow population growth overall compared to other states keeps national retail or service companies from considering a new store in Missouri.