BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – Curtis Harkleroad was 10 years old in 1961 when Clarence "C.O." Hurt opened his first grocery store in Bluff City. That store – now known as the Corner Market – closed on Dec. 19.
It was Bluff City’s only grocery store.
"I hate to see them close up," Harkleroad said Friday over lunch at the Bluff City Diner, which shares a parking lot with the Corner Market. "It’s like going to a funeral home. We’re going to miss it."
Hurt said at least two small grocery stores were doing business in Bluff City 46 years ago when he set up the first Hurt’s Discount Foods in a 10,000-square-foot building on Bluff City Highway.
In 1995, he leased the store to White’s Fresh Foods – which operates grocery stores in Kingsport, Johnson City and Piney Flats – along with a second Hurt’s Discount Foods he had established in Bristol Tennessee.
White’s changed the name of both stores to the Corner Market.
The Bristol store was closed after three years and Hurt sold the land to the YWCA for its new facility.
White’s hired Junior Henry to manage the Bluff City store in 2001 but decided to end its month-to-month lease with Hurt when Henry announced plans to retire earlier this year.
"I’m 69 years old, so it’s time," said Henry. "I’ve just enjoyed the people. I’m sure they’ll miss [the store]."
Tracy Banks, White’s director of operations, said the main reason he closed the store was because it didn’t bring in enough money, despite having steady customer traffic.
"[Our customers] weren’t buying groceries," Banks said Thursday as he and other White’s employees removed the Corner Market’s inventory and fixtures. "People pretty much used this as a convenience store and did most of their shopping in Piney Flats."
Henry put a sign on the store’s front door two weeks ago, announcing it would close on Dec. 19, but his customers continued to stop by throughout the week, hoping it would still be open.
He mopped the Corner Market’s floor by himself Thursday afternoon once all the store’s equipment was cleared out, and he mopped them a a second time on Friday while Harkleroad was eating his lunch.
"[The Corner Market’s] going to be missed in the community," Harkleroad said. "Any time something in a little town like Bluff City closes, you hate to see it go. We hate to see any business go out."
Harkleroad also understands why White’s chose to shut down the Corner Market. He eats out for most of his meals and doesn’t buy groceries very often. He said he really only visited the store to buy chewing tobacco.
"People would go in there and get a two-liter of pop and a pack of cigarettes, a gallon of milk and a box of cereal," he said, adding that shoppers seldom bought big-ticket items or did serious shopping there.
Now that the Corner Market is closed, Bluff City residents will have to drive at least 10 minutes to the closest grocery store in Blountville or Piney Flats or stop by a convenience store for quick purchases.
Hurt isn’t sure what he’ll do with the empty building. He may lease it to another business or sell it altogether.
"I haven’t got any plans right now," Hurt said, adding it may be difficult to find another grocery store to locate in the building because of its small size. "There are some fine people in Bluff City, and I’m hoping something will come along.
"The city needs a grocery store."
gmclean@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2518
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement