Anthony Estrada, who is preparing to launch a full-service grocery store under a new brand, United Grocers, at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue, is now in discussions to operate a second United Grocers location across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas.
Second Store in the Works in Kansas City, Kansas
Estrada has submitted a letter of intent to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, to operate a grocery store at 501 Minnesota Ave., the former home of the Merc Co+op.
If approved, the agreement would allow him to reopen the 14,000-square-foot store, which has been closed since late December, leaving downtown Kansas City, Kansas without a primary grocery option.
Like the Prospect location, the building is publicly owned — part of a model local governments have used to try to maintain grocery access in areas where traditional grocery operators have struggled.
The Unified Government invested roughly $8 million to build the downtown KCK store, which opened in 2020 but ultimately closed following poor financial performance.
Estrada’s proposal includes a significant interior overhaul, with plans to expand fresh food offerings, including a full-service meat department, expanded produce, increased dairy space and new bakery displays.
Prospect Store Moving Toward Opening
At the same time, work is continuing inside the Linwood and Prospect location.
Crews have been inside the building preparing the space.
The site, 3110 Prospect Ave., has been a focus of repeated efforts to maintain a full-service grocery store, with the City of Kansas City, Missouri investing more than $15 million over time into the shopping center.
The most recent operator, Community Builders of Kansas City, closed the store in August 2025 after reporting more than $1.3 million in losses in its final year.
Those losses were tied to both internal and external challenges — including theft inside the store and ongoing issues around the site.
Hiring From the Community
As the opening nears, Estrada said hiring will focus heavily on the surrounding community.
He is preparing both online and paper application options and has already begun compiling a list of interested applicants — including former employees and residents who have approached him as work has progressed.
The goal is to build a staff that reflects the community the store will serve.
Membership Model Designed to Balance Access and Accountability
Estrada has also been discussing a membership-style model for the store — an idea similar to retailers like Costco or Sam’s Club — but tailored to the needs of this location.
He introduced the concept to city officials and community members as a way to help manage access to the store while also building a sense of shared ownership.
The model has received support, particularly as a potential tool to reduce theft and improve the overall shopping environment.
At the same time, Estrada has said the store will not open with a membership requirement.
Instead, customers will first be able to shop freely, giving the community an opportunity to get comfortable with the store before introducing the membership model.
If implemented later, membership could be low-cost — potentially around $10 — or even free.
Experience Built Across the Grocery Industry
While this will be Estrada’s first time owning a grocery store, the 51-year-old brings decades of experience working inside them.
He started as a teenager pushing carts at a Sun Fresh store in Brookside and moved into management roles by age 19. Over time, he advanced into store leadership roles overseeing full operations and was often brought in to help troubleshoot struggling locations.
Throughout his career, he has worked nearly every position in a grocery store — from stocking shelves and running checkout lines to supervising departments and leading store teams.
In recent years, much of his work has been connected to Associated Wholesale Grocers, a Kansas City-based cooperative that supplies independent grocery stores across the region.
Associated Wholesale Grocers provides inventory, purchasing power and operational support that allow independently owned stores — including many Sun Fresh locations — to compete with national chains.
Through that work, Estrada has been involved in opening and supporting more than 15 grocery stores, helping operators launch stores and stabilize operations.
That experience has given him a strong understanding of inventory management, pricing and day-to-day store operations — all critical to keeping shelves stocked and controlling costs.
Both the Prospect and KCK stores are expected to work within the Associated Wholesale Grocers system for inventory.
Addressing Safety and Stability
Beyond store operations, one of the biggest challenges facing the Prospect location has been the environment surrounding it.
Previous operators struggled with issues including loitering, theft and other activity near the site that drove away customers and increased security costs.
City leaders are now working on a more coordinated approach to improving conditions in and around the shopping center.
A safety task force is meeting regularly, bringing together police, public health officials and community partners to address both enforcement and underlying issues.
Efforts underway or being considered include increased police presence, adoption of a policy that would make single-serve alcohol sales illegal in the surrounding area, and broader strategies aimed at reducing loitering and improving conditions around the site.
Those steps are intended to support the long-term success of the store and help stabilize other businesses in the shopping plaza.
What Comes Next
City leaders are now working on a more coordinated approach to improving conditions at the shopping center.
Those steps are intended to support the long-term success of the store as well as help stabilize other businesses in the shopping plaza.
Whether that approach succeeds will depend not only on store operations, but on overcoming many of the same challenges that led to previous closures — neighborhood conditions largely outside the operator’s direct control.
