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It was only two years ago we met at Word of Life Ministries on Hyde Park Boulevard to discuss the state of disrepair for the legacy Tops Market the community, and Tops management, colloquially referred to as the “ghetto Tops.”
The money-losing store was low performing, in part because the surrounding neighborhood is low performing. There is no rising tide to lift all boats, just memories of Slipko’s and where the Castallanis and Diminos started even before the Nanula’s got involved.
The community as a whole was upset that the Boulevard Tops and Lewiston's Dimino Tops has both been recently updated while Portage Road got no love.
Niagara Falls as a city is struggling to find a new tenant for Save-a-Lot. In spring, Mayor Robert Restaino had a deal almost sealed to have Tops take over the City Market property. Portage Road could become an Amazon transfer station. It would have been a horrible loss for an already struggling neighborhood.
Then the host plaza was sold. It was almost as if the Grinch down in Whoville had realized after he saw Cindy Lou at DiCamillo’s Bakery that he couldn’t stop Christmas from coming after all.
Tops decided, given a new lease, that the best course of action was a $1 million remodeling project including the addition of a pharmacy, needed since Rite Aid closed a short distance away.
It is not perfect. They didn’t totally update the floors, or the ceiling, and for sure, the ability to have a new lease and build out a pharmacy made business sense. It was decidedly a corporate decision related more to a chance to make money than any meeting at Word of Life or any community outcry. Niagara Falls is a field to be harvested, ore to be smelted and mash to be distilled. Decisions are made based on profitability in a tight-margin grocery economy consistently fed by tax-challenged growers and farmers who can’t find laborers because of the fact immigration and labor laws in existence have been enforced rather than updated.
Still, take the little victories where you can get them. Even if the carts still don’t match, they upgraded the bike rack, gas pumps and the sign and the lights seem better.
Also: Today I found what I instantly knew to be purple hard neck Italian garlic on sale for $4.99 a pound. It was labeled as white garlic. I took a pound home but may stop back tomorrow and grab more so I have seed for October. The staff at Portage Road Tops has no responsibility for it. Message me if you want a pound. I will deliver.
Here’s the release from Tops corporate, unredacted. I took some photos. It's nice to see the letters on the sign on the facade match again.
Tops Markets invests $1 million in Niagara Falls
Tops Friendly Markets has completed a $1 million remodel of its Niagara Falls store at 1000 Portage Road, marking the company’s 52nd major store remodel in six years. The project is part of Tops’ capital improvement project, which has included more than $100 million invested across its three-state imprint.
“There's no more fitting place to invest in the future of Tops than the community where our story began. Refreshing our Portage Road store – just steps from the site of our first modern supermarket opened in 1962 – honors our legacy while reaffirming our commitment to serving Niagara Falls with the best possible shopping experience for generations to come,” said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Markets.
The 73,000-square-foot-plus store has undergone a comprehensive renovation, featuring a new exterior storefront with updated awnings, new building signage, and fresh exterior paint, cart corrals, along with a refresh of the fuel station and renovated restrooms.
Inside, the store showcases a brand-new, state-of-the-art pharmacy, which will officially open Aug. 10. Tops’ friendly, professional pharmacists and technicians will provide prompt service including one-on-one consultation, during our full-service pharmacy hours, seven days a week (Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) Refills are available 24/7 by phone, at www.Topsmarkets.com or through the Tops mobile app.
The store also has enhanced décor and interior paint, new LED lighting throughout, a complete store reset, new expanded refrigerated cases in deli and carry out café featuring marketplace deli, meals to go, and an expanded bakery with gluten-free offerings from Vin-Chet’s, new fixtures, and delicious doughnuts. An expanded produce department with new cases and display fixtures focus on a commitment to fresh, local produce.
Additional highlights include a new healthy hydration and health and natural/organic offerings, and improved overall store layout designed to enhance the shopping experience.
Customers will also find convenient services including Instacart pickup and delivery, DoorDash delivery, order-ahead meals and catering, and the Flashfood app where customers can save up to 65% off items nearing their best buy date.
The fuel station has been upgraded with new Gilbarco fuel pumps featuring PCI- and EMV-compliant touchscreen technology, a 3-D barcode reader for Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, and a 9-inch interactive screen highlighting savings opportunities. Customers can also scan their BonusPlus card from the Tops app at the pump to redeem GasPoints savings.
Headquartered in Williamsville, Tops Markets operates a robust network of 152 grocery stores spanning New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including one franchise location in Lewiston. Discover more at www.topsmarkets.com.
