Champaign Filipino Grocery to Close at Year's End After 23 Years in Illinois College Town
A Filipino family grocery store that has operated for 23 years in Champaign, home of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will close this December, according to a campus weekly published on October 25.
Maligaya Oriental Market is a Filipino grocery that has supplied hometown ingredients to local Filipino families and international students for years, serving as an important stop in the college town's Asian community life. Current owner Eric Maligaya moved the store in 2021 to a site next to the Iglesia El Shaddai church under a five-year lease that could be extended by three years if he submitted a renewal letter on time; he did not file the letter in time, and the store lost its renewal eligibility. The owner said that because of cost considerations, whether to reopen at a new location remains undecided.
After the news broke, the Philippine Student Association offered to help, including through fundraising; its president, Ethan Lopez, said the association is ready to assist in practical ways. The store's fate touches many Asian families: a small shop open for 23 years is not just a place to buy groceries, but a foothold where new immigrants settle in and find a taste of home. Its closure is a reminder that Asian small businesses in college towns also need the community's continued support.
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 香槟市大学城区 Scott Park 一带。图片来源：BonkerStonker29 / Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。Campustown in Champaign, Illinois, near Scott Park. Photo: BonkerStonker29 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
