2 South Euclid Dollar General stores shut down due to ‘critical safety issues’

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (WOIO) - Earlier this week, city officials ordered two Dollar General stores to immediately close, after officials found “critical safety issues”; including, blocked aisles, lack of access to the electrical panel and inaccessible fire extinguishers.

“For example, if there were an electrical fire, the fire department would not be able to access the main disconnect and the City’s Code requires that the panel is readily accessible,” Keith Benjamin, Director of Community Development for the City of South Euclid, said. “Many of the aisles were completely blocked with stock carts, impeding safe exit in the event of an emergency. In addition, fire extinguishers were blocked by the stock carts, rendering them completely useless in the case of a fire.”

The stores are located at 375 South Green Road and 4279 Mayfield Road.

City officials said the stores were also dirty and unsanitary.

Customers, like Andrew Jackson, were frustrated Thursday when they found out the store was temporarily closed. He said the neighborhood needs a store that sells affordable groceries.

“Violations can be corrected,” Jackson said. “They should have time to take care of their violations, but to close a store that’s affordable and people are known for going and to keep the higher priced stores open. I mean it says something.”

The stores can re-open once the violations are fixed.

Dollar General shared a statement with 19 News about the temporary closures:

“We are disappointed our store standards at these locations fell short of both our customers’ and our own expectations, and we hope to re-open to serve our customers and the South Euclid neighborhood soon,” a spokesperson for Dollar General said. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and remain committed to being a positive business partner and good community neighbor.”

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