Midtown Market Opening Soon Near Planned Streetcar Stop

By Kevin Collison

Main Street in Midtown is getting its first new grocery store in years, and proprietor Sheraz “Shawn” Choudry believes its location in a relative food desert near a future streetcar stop  should make it a success.

“We’ll try to bring in all kinds of food from all over the world,” he said. “The reason we picked this location is we saw the need, there’s not many grocery stores in the area.

“There’s a mixed crowd of millennials and different ethnic groups here and we’ll be giving them products they like.”

The Main Street corridor is expected to attract substantial development and new residents with the planned streetcar extension from downtown.

The historic Netherland Hotel and Monarch Storage building just a couple blocks from the new market already has been renovated into hundreds of apartments and more development is in the works.

The new Midtown Market at 3967 Main is close to the planned 39th Street streetcar stop.

Choudry has been working to open his Midtown Market at 3967 Main for more than a year, but as with many endeavors these days, it’s been delayed partly by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But beginning next week, the shelves at the 10,000 square-foot market will be stocked. His plan anticipates the store will open in about two weeks.

Choudry has had experience running convenience stores and liquor stores, and recently opened a grocery store in Carbondale, Kan. near Topeka.

“We know what we’re doing and we have a lot of faith in this location,” he said. “We know it will do well.”

In addition to groceries and fresh produce the market will have a grill called LC’s Hamburgers that will also serve other foods. There’s also a juice bar and a specialty ice cream shop, and a full liquor store with beer and wine.

The shelves will soon be stocked and ready for business at Midtown Market.

The plan calls for Midtown Market to not only offer the latest in online services, purchases can be delivered via services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, but also employees will be willing to carry groceries to customers’ cars.

“We want to offer personal service and know people by their names,” Choudry said.

The market to be open 24 hours, seven days a week.

At night, a walk-up window is planned where customers can submit their order and have it brought to them. The store is expected to employ about 15 people.

“We think we’ll have the nicest store on Main Street all the way to Union Station,” Choudry said. “Main Street needed that.

“Also, if people can’t find what they want, we’ll get it for you.”