School will no longer replace Boston food market that’s closing after 28 years
Editor's note: This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. Feb. 6, 2026, to add comments from Laurel McConville.
A private school will no longer take over the space of a beloved Boston food market that is set to close after nearly three decades, saying that "stepping back is the right decision."
The Croft School posted a statement on Facebook Friday announcing it has decided not to move into the space of Foodie's Markets , which will shut down this June after 28 years, as previously reported by MassLive .
"After reflection and thoughtful conversation, we have decided not to move forward with our planned expansion at 1421 Washington Street," The Croft School wrote in a statement . "While we were excited about this opportunity, we believe it is more important to respond with care to what we have heard and to avoid further contributing to division at a time of real loss for the neighborhood."
The school added, "Schools do not exist in isolation. They exist within communities, and with that comes a responsibility to listen when something doesn't feel right. In this case, stepping back is the right decision."
News broke earlier this week that The Croft School would take over Foodie's Markets in the South End after the store shuts down.
The local private school, which opened its South End campus in 2022, already occupies the buildings at 1525 and 1310 Washington St., which are just around the corner from Foodie's Markets.
The Croft School's South End campus currently serves preschool through second grade, but is looking to expand through sixth grade. The Croft School previously told MassLive that, by expanding by one grade level, it will gain about 26 new students.
Right now, "space constraints" at the existing South End campus are hindering that expansion. Therefore, The Croft School needs more space to accommodate the incoming students, 74% of whom live in the South End.
"Our Preschool through Grade 6 enrollment interest among neighborhood-area families continues to grow, and we see this as an exciting opportunity to continue to serve students living in the South End and other Boston neighborhoods for years to come," Scott Given, executive director of the Croft School, said in a statement, per the Beacon Hill Times . "We love the South End, and intend to rejuvenate the space into a beautiful, bright school facility for our young learners."
Owner Victor G. Leon addressed Foodie's Markets' closure in a Facebook post on Wednesday by first acknowledging how the news "has sparked a lot of emotion in the neighborhood" and that he "wanted to expand on the tough decision that was made."
"These are challenging times for independent grocers, and our success to date has been made possible by the incredible support of the community," Leon wrote. "Despite that support, it is no longer feasible for us to continue operating at 1421 Washington Street."
The owner said that keeping Foodie's Markets open in the South End "would require significant financial investment to update the building and its mechanical systems."
Leon added, "That level of investment would require a long-term commitment that we determined was too risky given the current economic realities of our industry. Knowing firsthand the challenges facing small grocers, we were aware that finding another grocer to take our space would be a challenge, which made this decision especially difficult."
"We believe this is the right time for us to move on," he said.
Leon maintained that The Croft School shares "a desire to do good for the South End," adding, "This was a business decision — it was not a forced closure, and not a decision The Croft School was involved in or influenced."
The Croft School reaffirmed this to MassLive in a previous statement that read, "Foodie's decided not to renew its lease and communicated that decision to its landlord before there were any communications between Croft and the property owners."
In continued, "With Foodies leaving, and without a committed occupant, the building would likely remain vacant."
Shortly after the news broke, a petition on Change.org was launched in an attempt to preserve retail storefronts, such as Foodie's, and food access in the South End.
"We, the residents, business owners, property owners, and community leaders of Boston's South End, strongly oppose the proposed conversion of the Foodie's Market(s) storefront into a private school, The Croft School," the petition reads.
Aside from being one of a few grocery stores in the South End, Foodie's Markets is known for being easily accessible and walkable for area residents.
Laurel McConville, who started the petition, said storefronts should stay dedicated to retail or food use "especially for neighbors who rely on nearby access to fresh food and daily necessities."
"The South End cannot afford to lose its only grocery-capable space to yet another school expansion, particularly as The Croft School already occupies four former retail spaces in the neighborhood," McConville wrote in the petition. "While we recognize that we cannot control whether Foodie's remains in operation, we can and must oppose the continued loss of essential retail and food-use space in our neighborhood."
The petition has received more than 1,500 signatures thus far. The Croft School has since recognized the community's response and decided to retract its expansion plans.
" The Croft School made the right decision for the good of the neighborhood," McConville told MassLive in a Friday email. "In that same spirit, I sincerely hope they will engage with our neighborhood organizations, like the Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association and South End Business Alliance, as they continue to grow and look for space."
"There is still more work to do to identify the right tenant for the Foodie's location and to protect the zoning and long-term viability of this and other ground-floor retail spaces in the South End," she added. "As a community, we will continue working with our local elected officials to help ensure that happens."
The school's expansion plan was intended to support the growing school, the families it serves and to secure a home for the elementary grade levels it plans to expand, according to the statement. "What has become clear, however, is that our involvement at this particular site, regardless of intent, compounded a moment of genuine community grief and frustration."
The school continued, "We recognize that the closure of Foodies at 1421 Washington Street represents a real and deeply felt loss. For many neighbors, Foodies was more than a grocery store; it was part of the rhythm of daily life and a meaningful presence in the neighborhood. We are grateful to the Foodies team for what they brought to the South End over many years, and we understand why their departure has stirred so much emotion. In particular, we heard clearly the concern about access to food in the neighborhood and the importance many neighbors place on preserving this location for grocery or other essential retail use. Those concerns are substantive and deserving of serious consideration."
The Croft School also reassured families that it remains committed to expansion and is "actively exploring alternative options for our elementary home," adding, "We are confident we will find a space soon."
"We hope this decision is received in the spirit in which it is intended: as a sincere effort to listen, to learn, and to be a respectful and engaged member of the South End community," the school concluded.
Leon's father, Victor Leon Sr., first opened Foodie's Markets in the South End in 1998, according to a 2020 article from The Boston Sun . The closure means the company will solely focus on its other location in South Boston.
"We are not pursuing other locations in the South End and are instead focusing our efforts on our South Boston market," Leon Jr. wrote in the market's Facebook post.
More boston
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
