Alberts Fresh Market struggles to find operator for planned Grafton pharmacy

Alberts Fresh Market owner Ralph Pence is still searching for a pharmacy operator nearly two years after Grafton Village Council approved a $100,000 grant for improvements intended to create space for one inside the store. Securing an operator remains difficult as pharmacies face financial pressures and uncertainty within the industry. Pence said the store has contacted about 40 pharmacy operators and continues to pursue new possibilities. While most of those efforts fell through, he said talks with one local pharmacy are ongoing. 'Our community needs and wants a pharmacy, and we want one,' Pence said. 'It's that simple.' At the time the grant was approved in November 2024, the project was publicly described as an effort to bring a pharmacy to the store after the closure of Rite Aid, 479 Main St., during summer 2024. Pence said the funding was for improvements to the building and not a guarantee that a pharmacy operator would move into the space. The need for one in the area has grown following the closure of another local pharmacy. Midview Drug, 35053 Royalton Road, permanently closed Sept. 3 after its owner, Sasi Kaza, faced Medicaid fraud charges involving a separate business. Longtime pharmacist Angela Carter said declining insurance reimbursements had made it increasingly difficult for Midview Drug to remain financially sustainable. Alberts has been part of Grafton since the 1930s, Pence said. The business began in a milk truck on Main Street before moving into a building there and eventually moving to its current location. Part of the proposed pharmacy space sits within the store's original building. Pence, who was born and raised in Grafton and lives on a farm south of the village, said the store's long history is part of why he views it as a community landmark. 'My name is on the deed, but this is their store,' he said. 'At the end of the day, if I go, the store stays. If I stay, the store stays.' He said customers continue to ask when a pharmacy will open. 'Every day we have our good customers coming in and they ask the question, 'When will a pharmacy come?'' Pence said. The store has identified an area near its produce section as the preferred location for the pharmacy, although the layout could change depending on the needs of an eventual operator. Plans call for enough space to accommodate a drive-thru window along the right side of the building. Pence said the location was selected because vehicles could enter the property, line up without extending into the street and travel around the building to the window. The store has also moved portions of its existing layout while trying to determine the most practical location for the pharmacy. Pence said having a pharmacy closer to home would particularly benefit seniors and young families who have to travel farther for prescriptions. 'They just don't have the time,' he said. 'They don't have the funds anymore to drive as far as they want to drive. Convenience is important.' Pence said he is open to speaking with independent operators or larger pharmacy companies interested in the location. 'We would love to talk with a good pharmacy, and not just any pharmacy,' he said. 'We want the best because it's simple — our name's on this.' Pharmacy operators interested in the location can contact Alberts Fresh Market at 440-926-3566 and leave their name and contact information for Pence. Contact Connor Ball at [email protected] or 440-329-7243.