PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A Portland landmark will soon be closing its doors. Paul's Food Center located in the heart of the city has been a staple in downtown Portland since 1975.
Paul Trusiani, the owner, died last year-- and the future of the store became unclear. His son, Jim Trusiani, says the store will close for good when it runs out of inventory in a couple weeks. 11 people will lose their jobs.
"These are folks who've been there for a long time…members of the family. Everybody in the neighborhood knows them. It's disappointing about the jobs being lost. This is a real institution of the city and it's gonna be real disappointing when we don't have a supermarket in town," said Mayor of Portland Ethan Strimling.
The Trusiani family says this was a difficult decision to make for themselves and the community. Many residents in the area depend on Paul's because it is close.
"I feel sad. It's real convenient to come down here and shop and we'll be sad when they close," said one customer. "It's convenient because it's close to home. I knew a lot of the people that come here don't have cars," said another.
Paul's isn't the first market to occupy this space. There's been a supermarket at 585 Congress Street since 1861 when Shaw's opened one of its first stores in the state.
The sale of the building was completed yesterday. The new owners will be Portland Flea For All. They are currently located in another location on Kennebec Street in Portland.