Yellow police tape blocked off sections of the parking lot Monday at Roush’s Market, located on West Thornton Street in Akron’s Sherbondy Hill neighborhood.
Some vehicles drove by, honking horns, while others pulled in to offer brief condolences to the owners. One driver mournfully yelled out, “R.I.P. Roush’s!” as he passed the scene. Inside, the shelves were still stocked, sandwiched between a soaking-wet floor of murky, sooty water and the charred ceiling.
Two days earlier, a fire left the iconic grocery store, established in 1955, dark, empty and badly damaged. “I seen it, it woke me up,” said resident Benny Stamps, who lives in the house next door.
While no one was hurt, a pressing uncertainty still plagues Roush’s loyal customers, many of whom relied on its proximity and prices.
“Shopped there every day,” Stamps continued. “A lot of people came to shop; they had a variety of stuff like lottery tickets, cigarettes, beer, wine, custom beef.”
A lot of people in this community depended on Roush’s, said lifelong neighbor Julius Williams, 56. Not just because of the varieties of meats, but the “bundles that people could survive off of at prices made for the community.”
For now, community members said they will have to trek to ALDI up the road or hitch a ride to Walmart, and the selections won’t be the same. Stamps said there’s a nearby Family Dollar, too, but it doesn’t sell beef. He said the nearest variety-meat market is the Acme Fresh Market on East Avenue.
Akron City Council President Margo Sommerville, who represents Ward 3, called the incident “heartbreaking.”
“Roush’s Market has long been an important part of our community, and together we will support its recovery and future success,” she wrote in a press release.
“Most importantly, people didn’t realize people use Roush’s for money orders so they can pay their rent, their monthly expenses,” she added during today’s City Council meeting. “This is a huge loss for the neighborhood.”
Akron’s Fire Chief Leon Henderson told Signal Akron news partner 3News on Monday that an arrest was made in connection to the fire — based on surveillance footage of a man pouring an unknown liquid substance on the premises. The fire has not been ruled an arson.
Owners speeding to rebuild for community dependents
Residents can rest assured that Roush’s is not going away, said Ashraf Abbas, whose father owns the property.
In addition to serving as his dad’s attorney, Abbas is also the attorney for Abbas Nael and Awadallah Majed, the owners of the grocery store business. The families involved are talking to restoration companies about a swift rebuild.
“It might be possible to save the outer shell of the store and maybe replace the roof and remodel the inside because of the water damage,” Abbas said. “We’re hoping that’s the case because the building is iconic to the neighborhood.”
Abbas said his family had owned the property since 1982 and transferred ownership of the Roush’s store in 2023. Abbas said he knows how cherished the business has been for generations and, as such, is fighting to secure its restoration and future.
“One hundred percent, we’re going to rebuild,” Abbas said. “The owners were actually very motivated and excited to get rebuilding and get back to business. But it’s a community thing; we all stick together knowing that we’ll be back.”
