Ludlow gets 1st grocery store in nearly 14 years

LUDLOW, Ky. - Going to the grocery is usually an ordeal for Ludlow mom Mary Patton, driving nearly 15 minutes each way to the nearest supermarket.

"I drive up to the Kroger on the hill on Dixie Highway, and I go there or go down to the Covington Kroger," explained Patton.

Now with the opening of a 12,000 square foot grocery store just down the road, Patton can make quick trips to the store without hassle.

Thanks to a $500,000 grant from the state, the city of Ludlow is helping to fund Riverside Marketplace.

Project owner Victor Dawn has been working to bring a store to the small town for years. He owns a similar store in Dayton, Ky. and saw the tremendous need for affordable food in Ludlow.

"People come in unannounced and they're look forward to this very much. Especially senior citizens in the area, who said they had no where to get groceries, or affordable groceries," he said.

Dawn says the full service supermarket will provide necessities like a deli, meat department, and produce department.

"I don't think there's anything that we're going to miss," said Dawn.

And for moms like Patton, it's the convenience they're looking forward to the most.

"It'll make it a lot easier just to go right down the street from the house, instead of all the way across town," she explained.

Dawn says the store will create 45-50 new jobs in Ludlow, with about half of those being full time positions.

Mayor Ken Wynn says he hopes the store will also help boost the local economy, attracting more people to buy homes in Ludlow.

Riverside Marketplace will officially open on Feb. 23.