TULSA--A businessman who owns four supermarkets in Tulsa said he will open a new store in January at the Gateway Plaza shopping center in north Tulsa.Antonio Perez, 48, who owns the Las Americas stores, said he will open a new store in the former Albertson’s site at Pine Street and Peoria Avenue.
The Las Americas stores are located at 241 E. Admiral Pl., 2118 E. 3rd St., 1140 S. Garnett Rd. and 11330 E. 21st St.
Since the Albertson’s store closed, the city’s predominantly Black northside has been without a supermarket.
The four Las Americas stores cater to the city’s Hispanic community, but Mr. Perez said the new store will be a traditional supermarket that will cater to the needs of north Tulsa.
Most north Tulsa residents presently drive miles to shop for groceries.
“I’m excited to expand into that community,” Mr. Perez said. “As with all my stores, I will provide quality products at the right price with good customer service in a clean environment.”
The new store, to be called Gateway Market, will have everything any chain supermarket offers, Mr. Perez said, including a delicatessen, a fresh meat and fish counter, a bakery and an international aisle.
Store hours will be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, and the grocery storeowner said he anticipates having about 70 employees when he opens in mid-January.
Establishing a grocery store for the area has been a year-long struggle for the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, said Casey Stowe, that group’s chairman of the board.
Mr. Stowe is vice president of commercial lending at ONB Bank & Trust.
After years of work by city officials in the 1990’s, Albertson’s agreed in 2001 to build a store at the site.
The store opened in 2003.
Four years later, though, the store closed, to, once again, leave north Tulsa without a grocery supermarket.
Shortly after Albertson’s closed, city and elected officials scrambled to find a replacement, but attracted only a few companies to express an interest.
Then, Mayor Kathy Taylor created the North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative and turned the effort to find a grocery over to the corporation.
Mr. Stowe said the group came close to finalizing a deal with another operator, but a last-minute personal issue arose with that grocer, and the project fell through.
Mr. Perez was approached after that.
“I thought it was a great opportunity,” Mr. Perez said. “I went and looked at the vacant store, and it’s great.
“It has all of the equipment, and is just waiting for someone to move in.”
Mr. Stowe said there are also plans for an in-store bank at Gateway Market, adding he hopes, too, that a pharmacist will want to move into an area inside the store.
“I think he will be a great fit” for the area, Mr. Stowe said, referring to Mr. Perez.
“The advantage of having a locally owned business is that it can be responsive to the customer needs,” Mr. Stowe commented.
“I think we're going to see an entirely different dynamic with this grocer and the community,” Mr. Stowe said.
Mr. Perez said he initially worried about how the community would accept a Hispanic opening a store in north Tulsa, “but the response has been very positive.”
“I told them I would offer them respect and asked them to respect me not only as a human being, but as a businessman, as well,” the supermarket owner stated.
Ester Ogans, a north Tulsa neighborhood activist, said she is “tremendously happy” that Mr. Perez is willing to open a grocery store in the area.
Mrs. Ogans was one of a group who met with Mr. Perez several weeks ago.
“We don’t care about who opens the store,” she remarked, “nor about what color they are or what language they speak, as long as they provide quality meats, good customer service and a clean place.”
City Councilman Jack Henderson (Dem., District I), who has been working to get a supermarket for north Tulsa, was impressed with Mr. Perez’s operation after visiting one of the Las Americas stores.
“They have all the qualities” the grocery store owner promises for Gateway Market, the councilman said.
“This has been a long time coming,” he quipped.
The councilman successfully lobbied the City Council to approve $2.2 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for the grocery store project.
“Without those funds, this would be dead in the water,” the councilman stated. “We needed that financial incentive to lure someone.”
The funds will be used to make a loan to Mr. Perez so that he can acquire the property and buy inventory.
Mr. Stowe, the chairman of the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, said closing on the property sale is set for the end of the month.
The site is owned by Omega Alpha Development, LLC, a group of local investors.
Councilman Henderson said an advisory committee of community residents will be created.
“Mr. Perez understands that, if the community accepts him and, if he gives what they want, he ought to be there for a very long time.”
“We want this to be a success story,” the city councilman added.
A job fair to hire employees for Gateway Market will be held, too, Mr. Stowe said.
Mr. Perez said he anticipates having a culturally-diverse, quality group of employees.
