New Grocery Store Proposed at Former Aldi
Shuttered store at 51st and Hopkins could become full service grocery.
Grocery store shelves. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
A shuttered grocery store at 5301 N. Hopkins St. could soon reopen under new ownership, restoring a key source of fresh food for residents in the Old North Milwaukee neighborhood.
Gurdev Singh, co-owner of Galst Food Market on North Avenue, has submitted license and occupancy permit applications for the address with plans to open Hopkins Grocery.
Given city approval, the full-service store would sell fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and frozen foods as well as cigarettes, tobacco products and liquor, according to its plan of operation.
A proposed opening date is set for September.
The northwest-side property has sat vacant since longtime tenant Aldi closed its location there in early 2026, citing “a strategic effort to better allocate resources.”
The move drew criticism from local advocates and area Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, who called it “the latest development in a trend of recent divestment from neighborhoods where there are already few fresh food resources available to residents.”
Aldi’s exit was one of a wave of full-service grocery store and pharmacy closures over the past year that disproportionately affected Milwaukee’s North and Northwest sides.
In response, city officials have unveiled a grant program, introduced legislation declaring “food apartheid” a public health and economic emergency and approved an ordinance aimed at preventing sudden store shutdowns.
At the same time, the city has seen some expansion in the grocery sector. Metro Pantry held its grand opening June 17 at 1300 E. Locust St., replacing a former Dollar General, while One City Foods is now operating at 6350 W. Silver Spring Dr., previously the site of Sentry Foods.
Singh’s application does not include construction plans, but says he intends to install new coolers and freezers before opening. The property totals 16,945 square feet and includes a surface parking lot.
A license application for the proposed business is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, the store plans to open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Singh did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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FWIW, the sub-headline is misleading. This site is not at 51st & Hopkins. Hopkins & 51st never come close to intersecting.