Silver Spring Sentry is Closing

Sentry Foods, 6350 W. Silver Spring Dr. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Another northside grocery store has announced its upcoming closure, continuing a string of shutdowns raising alarms among residents and city leaders.

Sentry Foods will cease operations at 6350 W. Silver Spring Dr., according to signage posted at the store over the weekend. An exact date has not been announced.

The latest development follows Aldi’s Jan. 11 closure at 5301 N. Hopkins St., which drew criticism from area Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, and Pick ‘n Save’s exit from locations at 2355 N. 35th St. and 1735 W. Silver Spring Dr., in Glendale, over the summer. Another store, Sherman Park Grocery, recently issued a plea for community support, warning of imminent closure without immediate action.

Neighbors and elected officials have protested the trend, warning of widening food deserts.

“We deserve access to quality, affordable groceries within our own community,” Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II shared in response to the Pick ‘n Save closures. He called the departure “more than just a business decision,” saying it “leaves a real void in the daily lives of countless families.”

Sentry Foods opened in 2023 to great fanfare, with Mayor Cavalier Johnson calling it “a major development for the residents of the area.” However, the store changed hands just months later when Viral Patel took over ownership from original proprietor Bharat Bansal.

A current license application lists Patel, a Germantown resident, as 100% owner. When reached by Urban Milwaukee, Patel declined to comment, but said “the city is well aware of the plan.”

Area Alderwoman Larresa Taylor was not immediately available for comment, as Milwaukee City Hall remained closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Sentry Foods did not respond to a request for more information. The phone number for the Silver Spring Drive store has been disconnected.

Sentry Foods occupies a 14,000-square-foot space within a larger, strip mall-style building. The site was once home to a Kohl’s Food Store, which later became MKE Food Market. The independently-owned food store closed in 2019 after “complaints about food quality,” according to a news release.

Sentry operates nine stores throughout the state, including the soon-to-close Silver Spring location and additional Milwaukee outlets at 7101 W. Lisbon Ave. and 9210 W. Lisbon Ave. Neither are owned by Bansal or Patel.

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