KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Sun Fresh location at The Shops on Blue Parkway closed permanently on Sunday, Oct. 25, following months of struggle.
According to a news release Monday from the Community Builders of Kansas City, the organization that owns The Shops and operated the grocery store, declining sales and rising operating costs made the store “unsustainable.”
KSHB 41 News reporter La’Nita Brooks reported in September that shoppers at the store had grown uneasy about empty shelves and limited selection. You can watch her report in the video player below.
As part of the closure, CBKC says it is working with 25 employees impacted by the closure on a transition package, severance and job placement services.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, we stepped in to operate the store and keep groceries and jobs close to home for East Side residents,” CBKC President and CEO Emmet Pierson, Jr. said Monday in a news release. “We are grateful to every team member who served our neighbors through those challenging years and to everyone who shopped there.”
Pierson said CBKC is focused on supporting departing employees and helping shoppers find other options.
The organization says it will continue to own the shopping center and is looking for a future use for the store.
This is the second CBKC grocery store that has shuttered in Kansas City in recent years.
In August 2025, the Sun Fresh Market at the Linwood Shopping Center closed its doors.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer, at this time, able to serve the residents of this important community," a note on the front of the store read at the time. "It has always been our dream and passion to provide quality products and services in a safe, family environment. At this time, unfortunately, we are unable to do that."
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