Store owner in a sweat to keep coolers running

By Jean Reid Norman

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 1:59 a.m.

The owner of Central Market is weighing his options after his refrigeration units have been out for more than three weeks.

The independent grocery store at 1101 Arizona St. shut down its meat counter and stopped selling milk, eggs, deli meats and other perishables last month when the units went out, owner Varinder Singh said. The major refrigeration units are connected, and when one went out, they all did, he said.

Ice cream freezers and drink coolers are still working, and those items are still for sale.

Produce is also still available at the store, though those cooler systems are not working, Singh said. Without cooling, the produce goes bad more quickly. As a result, Singh said, he sells half and throws the other half away.

The refrigeration units have been a problem since he bought the store two years ago, Singh said.

"The refrigeration is out every other month," he said, adding that it costs him $4,000 to $5,000 each time to get them working again. In addition, each time the units go out, he loses food, he said.

Daniel Goble, the previous owner of Central Market, said the refrigeration units were brand-new in 1986, and he replaced three out of the four during the time he owned the store.

Singh has been working with his insurance company to see if it will cover the latest repairs. If not, another option is to lease the meat counter and other perishable food sections to someone else.

In the meantime, he said, he will continue to run the store without perishables and hope for the best.