Evan Benn of the Post-Dispatch reported last night that Johnny's Market (11555 Gravois Road, Sappington; 314-843-5760) will close after nearly seven decades in business.
As an essay on the Johnny's Market website tells it, founder Johnny Loeffelman didn't intend to enter the grocery business:
According to legend, Johnny Loeffelman got into the grocery business on his way to catch a few catfish in 1944. A young meat cutter in a city market in South St. Louis, Johnny was on a little fishing vacation, driving through the tiny villages of Affton and Sappington. He made a stop along the way at Rott's General Store where he thought he might buy a trotline. Johnny made an inquiry of the proprietor about the business, and before he knew it, he was involved in negotiations for the sale of the store.
A call to the store this morning went unanswered. However, Affton Patch, citing an employee, reports that Johnny's Market will close on Saturday, October 13. More as we learn it.
