ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Jay Aneja prepares his 7 to 7 Grocery store earlier this month in downtown Roanoke. The store, which opens next week, will offer staples such as dry goods but also packages of meat and some fresh produce.

The Roanoke Times

Pat Clark is hungry for a quick meal when she comes home to her downtown condo at 7 p.m. or later most days.

Other than sit-down dining at the market area's restaurants, a fast dinner or the ingredients to whip up one are not easily found in downtown Roanoke.

By evening, farmers market vendors have packed up their goods. The City Market Building eateries mostly shut down at 6 p.m.

Downtown Roanoke lacks a store that sells a varied and large assortment of grocery items.

Two convenience stores offer a basic array of some foods, including canned soups, sodas, milk and bread.

But a new enterprise on Campbell Avenue -- 7 to 7 Grocery -- will usher in a slightly larger grocery selection, with plans to open its doors by next week.

It's poised to appeal to residents moving into condominiums and apartments in Roanoke's downtown.

There are at least 231 residential units available or occupied in downtown, which is up from 204 dwellings in October, according to Downtown Roanoke Inc.

For decades, where people live has determined where grocery stores go.

The advent of 7 to 7 Grocery comes as food chains slowly are moving into downtowns across the country. The trend largely is happening in bigger cities, such as Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

In the 1950s and '60s, supermarkets rose up in suburban retail centers. There they built stores to meet the growth of suburban neighborhoods housing middle-class families, said Bill Greer, a spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute in Arlington.

Now, as more people move to downtowns, grocers are following.

But situating a grocery store in an urban district is challenging. Retailers need adequate space and parking, Greer said.

"In order to succeed, you need a very high volume of business," he added.

Jay Aneja and his wife, Shama, own the new 7 to 7 Grocery at 31 W. Campbell Ave. But don't expect their business to be a fully stocked grocery store.

Wooden baskets will hold tomatoes, potatoes and apples. Shelves are stocked with canned soup, cereal boxes, loaves of bread and other dry goods. Milk, eggs, cheese and bacon will be sold in a refrigerated case, along with packaged chicken and beef.

The prices for many of the items are slightly more than at supermarkets.

There will be prepared salads and sandwiches in a refrigerated case, and fried chicken and hot dogs. Some nonprescription medicines, including Tylenol and Benadryl, will be available. The store also will carry beer and wine.

Its location reflects its mission. The 2,200-square-foot space is beside the Hancock building, a structure slated for 58 apartments.

The Anejas expect the surge in the city's downtown living scene to drive the success of their new venture.

Downtown Roanoke does not have a major grocery chain, and it may never have one, said Bill Carder, executive director of DRI. But 7 to 7 is a good start, he said.

Debbie Franco, who lives downtown but does not own a car, hopes 7 to 7 will be a place where she can shop for more than a can of soup or tissues.

The new grocer may not suit all downtown dwellers. It will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, but Shama Aneja said they may stay open until 8 p.m. on weekdays.