Gigante Trouble in Anaheim
By George Anderson
The controversy surrounding the opening of Gigante supermarket in Anaheim, CA continued right up to the store opening it’s doors on May 7, according to a report by Orange County Weekly.
It all began when Anaheim’s Planning Commission voted to reject Gigante’s application for a liquor license at the new site. The commissioners ruled they could not approve the Gigante’s application because the area in question had more businesses licensed than were allowed under state mandate.
Gigante’s management and supporters claimed ethnic bias on the part of the Planning Commission. The commissioners, reportedly, are Caucasian even though Latinos are approaching majority status in Anaheim.
Hard feelings seemed to be set aside by the date of the store’s grand opening but a new controversy arose when security guards allowed line cutters into the store in front of shoppers that had been waiting for hours.
The paper describes an incident in which an elderly woman who had waited patiently in line stepped out to grab some shopping carts. Returning to the queue she was told by a security guard she would have to go to the back of the line. Her response was short and salty [and unprintable in any language in this space].
Moderator’s Comment: What is your reaction to this
story? Is the Anaheim Gigante supermarket doomed to failure? Will the elderly
woman described in the Orange County Weekly ever shop at the store?
For those interested, the woman’s exclamation and a translation
can be seen in the original Orange County Weekly piece. [George
Anderson – Moderator]