Atlanta Kroger pushes to renew liquor license. Shoppers say they want store improvements first

ATLANTA — The Kroger off of Metropolitan Pkwy and Cleveland Ave. used to be a sense of pride for people who live nearby.

Channel 2′s Michael Doudna spoke with residents on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

“I’ve been familiar since the day it opened. I was one of the cashiers that opened up the store,” said Dianne Bryant, a local resident. “When I look at it now and think about what was now, it’s just really troubling.”

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She says the parking lot is often filled with trash and misplaced shopping carts. Inside, she says the store looks outdated and rundown.

“If Kroger has a standard for their stores, that should be the standard for every store,” Bryant said.

Bryant joined several residents who showed up to Atlanta’s license review board that was deciding on Kroger’s liquor license.

“They are applying for a change of agent, because the guy who was their agent retired,” Bryant said “When we have an opportunity to have a little bit of leverage to improve things, we try to take advantage of it.”

Kroger declined an interview with Channel 2 Action News but told the board that they met all current legal standards. They also say they do renovations in seven-year cycles.

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“The store meets the requirements meets the standards of the City of Atlanta buildings and the City of Atlanta fire department,” Kroger’s lawyer told the board.

The board pushed back on Kroger, asking the store to see if they could find ways to make some small improvements that could make a big difference.

This is the second time the board has delayed taking action on the license.

Kroger has not indicated if they would be willing to compromise their position.

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