NORTH CENTER — The Aldi on Montrose is closing Saturday for reconstruction, to be replaced by an updated, more eco-friendly version of the store in roughly six months time.
On Thursday, customers could be seen stocking up on items to tide them over while the store, 2431 W. Montrose Ave., is demolished and rebuilt.
Justin Dawson was pleasantly surprised to find that shelves were still full, unlike the run-up to Dominick's' closing, which "looked like it had been looted."
Dawson and pal Tyler Binder rely on Aldi for nearly all their grocery shopping and Binder said the temporary closing "is definitely going to be a bummer."
Binder said he doesn't have a car and the nearest store within walking distance, Family Dollar, doesn't carry nearly as many options — hence his visit to the frozen food aisle.
"I don't mind so much brands," said Binder. "It's mainly the accessibility."
The shelves at the Aldi on Montrose are mostly full, with one notable exception. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]
Sharon Houtkamp had already made one trip to the store for "things that won't spoil" — paper towels, bags of kitty litter — and was back again for "some of the things they have that are way too good," like coffee cake and her favorite Caesar salad.
"These are just as good as Nabisco," Houtkamp said, holding up a box of crackers. "I think they have great pricing."
It's been more than a year since Aldi announced its plan to replace the existing 12,000-square-foot store on Montrose with a larger 15,000-square-foot version that will feature wider aisles, updated decor, a green roof with solar panels and permeable pavers in the parking lot to help absorb stormwater.
The new store is also expected to stock some organic items.
At a community meeting in January 2015, Chris Stair, director of real estate for Aldi, said the company has occupied the Montrose location for nearly 30 years and "we plan on being here another 30 years, but we can't continue in this building."
He promised the new store would provide a "completely different" shopping experience.
"It's definitely a nice upgrade," Stair said.
Aldi purchased adjacent land to the east and west in order to provide added parking.
Representatives for Aldi did not respond to a request for a construction and reopening timeline, but back in 2015, Stair estimated demolition would be followed by six months of rebuilding.
With a Wicker Park Aldi also temporarily closed, customers are being pointed to remaining stores on Broadway, California, Pulaski and Belmont.
"We'll take a trip," said Karyn Stramel. "I like the special buys."
Founded in Germany in 1946, Aldi operates more than 9,000 stores worldwide, including 1,300 in the United States. In 1966, the company split into two separate entities: Aldi Nord, which owns Trader Joe's, and Aldi Sud, which runs the Aldi supermarkets.
The Aldi at 2431 W. Montrose Ave. will be replaced by a new eco-friendly store. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]
Renderings of the new eco-friendly Aldi planned for Montrose Avenue. [Chicago47.org]
