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Feb 26, 2010
South Side areas underserved by the major grocery chains are getting an ambitious contender for their food dollar.Super Mas Market, a Hispanic grocery with an upscale slant, has opened in the New City neighborhood at 1424 W. 47th St. It's the first location for what company President Juan Carlos Perez hopes will become a Chicago-centered chain.» Click to enlarge imageJuan Carlos Perez is targeting Hispanics with low prices and fresh foods.(Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)PHOTO GALLERYSuper Mas MarketAt 32,000 square feet, the store has its own restaurant with catering services, a taqueria and tortilla machine and a scratch bakery. Perez has outfitted the place with flat-screen TVs so daytime shoppers need not miss the soaps and sports fans can keep up with soccer matches.He hopes to bring in a bank, insurance company and other services to make a one-stop shop for customers of all races. But Perez, a native Colombian who came to the United States at age 16, said he's targeting first- and second-generation Hispanics with a pitch that emphasizes low prices, fresh foods and an attractive setting."I want to show people that they don't have to go someplace that's dirty to save money," Perez said.He opened in a shopping plaza developed by Matanky Realty Group Inc., whose president, James Matanky, is impressed by what he sees. Perez "took a space that we spent $2 million to build and he put another $4 million into it. It's gorgeous," Matanky said.Perez has hired Matanky to scout other locations in the city, but he's taking a go-slow approach to expansion. "We have to see how we do here first," Perez said.He plans to have 147 workers at the New City store, including part-timers.Perez formerly worked for the Winn-Dixie grocery chain and earned a master's in business administration. He started the venture with backing from Rincon Capital, a Miami-based investment firm.His store had a quiet opening Wednesday, a strategy retailers use to make sure everything works right before crowds come in. A formal kickoff is planned Friday.The New City community is on the fringe of a broad swath of the South Side that city officials have identified as one of three "food deserts." Residents in the "deserts" have relatively far to travel to full-service stores with competitive prices. Research shows they are more likely to rely on fast food that contributes to obesity.The biggest grocery chains in Chicago, Jewel and Dominick's, have pulled out of some Chicago neighborhoods. Retail experts say the thin-margin food business is tough in Chicago because of higher theft rates, property restrictions and higher cost of building larger stores.
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