Only grocery store in the Hill District announces it’s closing Sunday 

PITTSBURGH — Almost a year to the day after it opened its doors, a staple in the Hill District announced it would be closing, temporarily.

Salem’s Market is the only grocery store in the Hill District and the closest store for fresh foods for a few miles. But on Sunday, it will close to consider a different business model with a smaller footprint.

Harold Gee has lived in the Hill District his entire life. He works across from Salems and says he relies on the market.

“There’s a problem that we can’t keep a grocery store on the Hill District,” Harold Gee tells Channel 11 News. “I don’t know what it is, it almost seems like it’s cursed.”

11 Investigates learned big bucks, locally and federally went into opening the grocery store on Centre Avenue including:

• The Urban Redevelopment Authority loaned Salem’s $1.3 million
• Local non-profit ‘Neighborhood Allies’ invested $250,000
• The USDA gave Salems a $200,000 grant

We asked City Councilman, Dan Lavelle, who represents the Hill District where all the money went.

“I don’t believe it was money wasted,” Councilman Lavelle said. “We’re going to take a moment to reconsider the size, the services it’s going to provide so we can indeed be providing the best service for the community. The URA spent resources to actually acquire the facility so we could keep it in the best interest of what the community needs. It’s our commitment that we continue to do so.”

Councilman Lavelle acknowledges they will likely have to bring on a consultant and restructure their loan to Salem’s.

The owner of Salems, Abdull Salem released the following statement:

As a trusted part of the Pittsburgh community for decades, Salems Market & Grille has always prioritized transparency, integrity, and service to our customers and neighbors. Following the recent public discussion surrounding the status of Salems Market on Centre, we want to acknowledge the statements made by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC) in response to remarks shared at last night’s community event.

While we understand the concerns and the importance of open dialogue, we remain focused on making the best decisions for our business, our employees, and the Hill District community. Our commitment to providing fresh, high-quality, halal food remains steadfast, and we appreciate the continued support from our customers, partners, and stakeholders during this time.

We will continue to engage in meaningful conversations with all relevant parties as we navigate next steps. At this time, we have no further comment beyond our existing statements but will share updates as appropriate.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

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