Longtime Tadych’s Marketplace grocery store closes for good
Cashier Chloe Pokovich checks out a customer Thursday on the final day of Tadych’s Marketplace Foods in Iron Mountain. Pokovich had worked at the store since 2020. Bagging groceries for her was Kenny Bal, who with the store’s closing plans to retire at age 67 after 36 years at Tadych’s. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)
The final day of Tadych’s Marketplace Foods in Iron Mountain on Thursday saw mostly bare shelves and coolers that had a few remaining items at a 50% to 75% discount. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)
This notice was posted on the store’s Facebook page only minutes after it closed permanently at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Cashier Chloe Pokovich checks out a customer Thursday on the final day of Tadych’s Marketplace Foods in Iron Mountain. Pokovich had worked at the store since 2020. Bagging groceries for her was Kenny Bal, who with the store’s closing plans to retire at age 67 after 36 years at Tadych’s. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)
The final day of Tadych’s Marketplace Foods in Iron Mountain on Thursday saw mostly bare shelves and coolers that had a few remaining items at a 50% to 75% discount. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)
This notice was posted on the store’s Facebook page only minutes after it closed permanently at 6 p.m. Thursday.
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IRON MOUNTAIN -- After roughly four decades in the community, Tadych's Marketplace Foods shut its doors for good early Thursday evening.
The grocery store at 1600 Stephenson Ave. officially ended business at 6 p.m., a week earlier than the date it originally posted when Minnesota-based Coborn's Inc., which purchased the Tadych's locations in 2021, announced in mid-July it planned to close the Iron Mountain site.
The final day featured a trickle of customers who picked over mostly bare shelves and coolers that had a few remaining items at a 50% to 75% discount.
The back of the store was completely empty, with some refrigerated display cases and freezers already being broken down. The store had stopped stocking fresh meat some time ago.
Matt VandenAvond, who had been Iron Mountain's store director only eight months after seven years overseeing bakeries at all the Tadych's locations, said he had hoped for a better outcome.
"We're just thankful to have been part of the community," he said Thursday, "and disappointed it had to end … that we're not going to be serving them anymore."
VandenAvond said most of the store's 71 employees have been able to find new positions, adding a lot of local businesses -- even some past competitors -- stepped forward to help.
About 12 staff members came in for the last day Thursday. Among them was Kenny Bal of Norway, who had logged 36 years at Tadych's bagging groceries and handling carts.
Bal said at age 67 he's "ready for retirement" after his final shift ends.
One customer posted on the store's Facebook page Thursday evening, "So sad … feel like I lost a relative."
Another commented, "Our go-to every Wednesday since it opened. Such a shame. "
Tadych's Marketplace Foods was one of the area's largest grocery stores when Jim Tadych opened it in 1987 as Econofoods. Tadych had started his first store in Brillion, Wis., in 1968 and would eventually have the locations in Iron Mountain, Houghton and Marquette, plus Brillion, Clintonville and Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin.
All in October 2021 became part of Coborn's Inc., a 100-year-old, employee-owned grocery retailer with nearly 10,000 employees and 77 grocery stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Iron Mountain store featured a floral department, a meat department that had butchers on site, a bakery that makes much of its products from scratch in house and a deli.
Coborn's did not state a reason in July for deciding to shutter the Iron Mountain location, other than to state on Facebook, "This was an incredibly difficult decision and one that was not made lightly."
Its Marketplace stores in Houghton and Marquette remain in business.
In announcing its final day, the store posted on its Facebook page Wednesday:
"It has truly been an honor to serve this community over the years. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has walked through our doors, trusted us to serve your families and made Marketplace Foods part of your everyday lives.
"Most of all, thank you for being such wonderful guests and for the kindness and support you've shown our team throughout the years. The relationships and memories made here are something we will always value.
From all of us at Marketplace Foods, thank you for allowing us to be part of your community. It has been our privilege to serve you."
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Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.