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18 Jun 2021

The new outlet shopping

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June 18, 2021 Category: Local Posted by:

Aaron and Chyrese Hollingsworth are bringing value and a little history to residents with the new Grocery Outlet store in Mount Airy.

By Denise Clay-Murray

While  you  probably  wouldn’t  connect  the  two  things,  being  a  good  professional  musician  and  the  owner  of  a  good  grocery  store are a lot alike.

Both require an investment of time. 

Both require understanding your learning everything about them to be a success. Both require making subtle changes in  the  discipline so that you can stand out.

Both require a little bravery.

And they’re both a part of the life of Aaron Hollingsworth, the co-owner of the new

Grocery Outlet on the corner of Hortter and Germantown Avenues.

Hollingsworth  and  his  wife  Chyrese,  a  nurse  practitioner,  are  among  the  newest 

operators in the 75-year-old Grocery Outlet chain, which specializes finding and purchasing  name  brand  foods  at  wholesale  prices  and passing  those  savings  on  to  customers. The store also has a wide selection of organic produce and other foods that would cost as much as 70% more elsewhere, Aaron Hollingsworth said.

“We’re in the same space as Aldi  and  Save-A-Lot,” Aaron  said.  “We  offer  a  lot  of  things  like  organic  vegetables  and  specialty  foods  at  prices  anywhere  from  30  to  70%  lower  than  what  you’d  pay  at  other  grocery stores. That’s why we exist.”

Before  the  Hollingsworths  became  one  of  the  few  Black  grocery  store  owners  in  Philadelphia, Aaron worked in retail, supply chain  management  and  merchandising  for  26 years.

But he wanted to be an entrepreneur, so he looked into Grocery Outlet. After entering the company’s program for independent operators, Aaron went looking for a place to start his new store.

When he saw Mt. Airy, the Detroit na tive knew he had found the right place for his business, Aaron Hollingsworth said.“I  fell  in  love  with  it,”  he  said.  “It was 

reminiscent of the neighborhood I grew up in. [Mt. Airy] reminded me of the core values of family, community and small business entrepreneurship. It felt like home.”

On  the  day  the  SUN  visited  Grocery Outlet, Aaron Hollingsworth was restocking

the store’s shelves with such things as Pellegrino sparkling water, avocado tortilla chips and other snacks that would cost a lot more elsewhere. There was also case of meat, including a whole filet mignon for $21.

Customers were walking throughout the store, taking advantage of these finds.

As she sized up the containers of coffee in the beverage aisle, Gail Cummings had a decision to make.

The resident of East Mt. Airy had heard about the new grocery store when WDAS-FM  broadcaster  Patty  Jackson  had  talked  about  it  on  her  show  and  decided  to  visit.  Now, she was trying to decide whether to get the big can of Maxwell House, or to get one of the smaller cans of another brand.

Thanks to the prices, she went home with both.

“I like it here,” Cummings said. “It’s better than Aldi and the prices are good.”

That’s  music  to  the  ears  of  Aaron  Hollingsworth,  who  was  also  a  keyboard  player  while he made his way through the business world. At one time, he was mentored by and played keyboards for gospel legends The Clark Sisters.

Since Philadelphia  is  home  to  several  churches   with   robust   musical   programs   —  Rev.  Dr.  Alyn E. Waller,  senior  pastor  of  Enon  Tabernacle  Baptist  Church,  has  been  a customer — Hollingsworth is hoping to go back to his musical ministry.

If  you  want  to  check  out  the  Grocery  Outlet,  the  store  is  open  from  8am-9pm 

Every day.  Visit:  www.groceryoutlet.com/grand-opening/mount-airy-pa  for  more  information.

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