The Journal Star is reporting that Adams Supermarket isn’t doing so well. Sales are slow, and expenses are high. So store owner Ahmad Abud (aka Hussein Alsalahi) is wanting to lower his costs.

A big cost is the city’s requirement that he hire an off-duty city police officer at $30 an hour to act as a security guard from 2:30 p.m. to midnight, when the store closes. He wants to change that to 8 p.m. to midnight.

The big story in the media is that he wants to lower the requirements. But to me the bigger question is: Why is the south side not supporting this store?

Here’s one possibility. Billy Dennis visited the store and reports that the place stinks like rotten meat and has no fresh vegetables. If that’s the case (and I don’t know if it’s a chronic problem, or if it was a fluke the time Billy visited), then Abud is never going to get loyal customers, and he’ll be back regularly asking for relief from other regulations to which he enthusiastically agreed just a few months back.

Perhaps another health inspection is in order.