A family grocer is closing after 66 years. The reason is dividing this North Texas city

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A family grocer is closing after 66 years. The reason is dividing this North Texas city

City Market, a beloved independent grocer and decades-old Burleson staple, is closing after a protracted dispute over rent spilled out in public, pitting shopper against shopper over who is to blame for the store’s demise.

In early January, store owner Kurt Jaeger said he was “praying for a miracle” that might keep City Market open, but shortened hours, liquidation prices and an “Everything Must Go” sign that appeared in front of the market on Feb. 2 seemingly put to rest any hopes for that. As of now, Jaeger expects the store to close by Feb. 21.

Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market will close after being a part of the community for 66 years. Current owner Kurt and Jill Jaeger took over ownership of the grocery store 22 years ago.

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What product is left is on ***** at Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. The store will close after being a part of the community for 66 years.

A quarrel between Jaeger and Camille Bransom, who owns the building and is the daughter of the store’s founder, goes back months. Over the past few weeks, the dispute has grown more contentious, with Burleson residents taking sides in the fight.

Jaeger and his wife, Jill, announced news of the closure in a video message posted to

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on Jan. 6. At the time, Jaeger said he was shocked to have been served an eviction notice after engaging in lease negotiations with Bransom.

“Our entire City Market family is devastated, heartbroken and shocked that it has to come to an end in this manner,” Jaeger said in the video. “This is not — I repeat, not — what Jill and I wanted, and this is not our choice.”

Public reaction

Bransom disputes how the Jaegers are characterizing the situation. Nonetheless, the announcement sent shock waves through the community. Opened in 1959 near Burleson’s historic Old Town district, City Market has long been a cozy alternative to chain grocery stores. About half the size of an HEB or Kroger, its status as one of the last of the independent holdouts against big-box incursion has made it beloved in the area.

The store employed approximately 40 people, some of whom had been with the Jagers for decades.

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City Market employee Matt Nitzinger unloads customer Regena Morris’ groceries into her vehicle on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. “We try to be the hometown store,” said owner Kurt Jaeger. “We take people’s groceries out.”

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Community members leave messages of support on a poster board outside of Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. The store will close this month.

A

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to save City Market has gotten over 2,100 signatures. Haleigh Helcl, an elementary school teacher who created the petition, said she remembers going to the store years ago for a kindergarten class field trip, back when it was called Bransom’s. The Jaegers purchased the business from the Bransom family in 2003.

After moving back to Burleson a few years ago, one of Helcl’s first stops was to City Market. At the time, her husband was overseas on a military deployment. When Jill Jaeger learned this, she surprised Helcl by paying for her groceries.

“They support our town, they support our kids,” Helcl said. “They are good people.”

The dispute

Bransom, in a message posted to

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on Jan. 9, challenged the Jaegers’ version of events through a spokesperson.

“There’s nothing ‘shocking’ that has transpired,” the post read, “and it is their choice not to sign the lease that was presented. We’ve been trying, in good faith, to negotiate a lease renewal for nearly a year. City Market enjoyed the same rate for over 20 years. The rate we last offered City Market is extremely low for Old Town Burleson. City Market has refused to sign a lease renewal at a reasonable amount, so they are choosing to leave.”

That post received 355 comments, the majority of them supporting Bransom.

“It’s a shame that you’re having to deal with somebody that is complaining about having the same rate for 20 years,” said one.

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A shopper is reflected in empty freezer cases at Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

Another user took to the Burleson Area Small Business

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page to defend Bransom.

“The thought that (Bransom) was arbitrarily evicting them in a greedy business move is not true and outrageous considering the lengths she went to resolve this in a civil manner.”

Calls to Bransom were not returned. Chad Henderson with Rockin H Realty, the firm that manages the City Market property on behalf of Bransom, declined to comment, calling the controversy “a distraction.”

In his original statement, Jaeger said he and Jill were “not finished fighting,” but in a follow-up conversation a few days later, Jaeger expressed doubts about the two sides coming to an agreement. He said he simply couldn’t afford the new rent, and offered to open his books up to Bransom to support that argument.

How employees are managing

City Market employees are now looking for new jobs, though many fear they will never find the same familial atmosphere they’ve enjoyed. Jaeger previously dismissed any notion of starting over at a new location, saying he was too close to retirement for that.

“This is the hardest thing,” wrote employee Mandi Ward on

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. “I’ve worked here for almost 5 years. (The Jaegers) are the best people, and I’m so blessed to have worked here at City Market Burleson. And I’m praying that this is not the end and we will continue to have the store open. This will affect so many people’s families in so many ways including mine!!”

Chanda Kisor is the third of four generations of her family to be employed at City Market. It began with her grandfather, who worked part time at the Jaegers’ Fort Worth location. Then it was her father, who delivered groceries. Next was Kisor, who started at City Market 21 years ago. Recently, her son was hired on as a cashier.

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Chanda Kisor checks out a customer at Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Kisor has worked at City Market for 21 years and hasn’t yet decided what her next move will be after the store closes its doors for the final time this month.

“This wasn’t the plan,” Kisor said of the closing. “It still hasn’t hit me. There’s still a lot of work to do, so I haven’t been able to fully wrap my brain around it.”

Like some other employees, Kisor hasn’t yet decided on her next move, but she said retailers in Burleson, including Kroger, Albertsons and Wal-Mart, have reached out to City Market workers and offered them positions.

On the afternoon of Feb. 3, shoppers streamed into City Market like old times. Some were unaware of the impending closure. For others, this trip to the grocery store felt like going to a wake.

“It’s like something’s been taken from your family,” said Jeff Lindsey, who has been shopping at City Market since the Jaegers bought it. “I’m used to old school, where everybody knows your name, and that’s what this was. Kind of like Cheers. So now you go to another store, and you’re just going to be another face.”

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Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market will close after being a part of the community for 66 years. Current owner Kurt and Jill Jaeger took over ownership of the grocery store 22 years ago.

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