BATAVIA – Richard Isbell liked the fact that he was able to pick up a gallon of milk for $1.99 at Amstadt's Finer Foods on Tuesday.
"Where else are you going to find prices like that? Isbell asked. "It is pretty hard to beat their prices. They have good sales all the time."
Isbell has shopped at Amstadt's since it opened in October 1997 in a former Walt's grocery store. And he hopes the store will continue to offer competitive prices once Berkeley Finer Foods takes over in May.
"If they are, I see no reason why I wouldn't keep coming here," Isbell said.
Berkeley Finer Foods is set to purchase Amstadt's, located in East Side Plaza at Van Buren and Wilson streets in downtown Batavia.
The sale is expected to take place by May 1. Berkeley Finer Foods owns grocery stores in Berkeley, Cicero and Melrose Park.
Customers should not notice many changes when Berkeley takes over. For example, Amstadt's carries the Centrella brand and so does Berkeley Finer Foods.
"We like that it is a neighborhood store," said Rudy Ortiz, vice-president of Berkeley Finer Foods who will supervise the new store. "In our other communities, we are the neighborhood store."
Berkeley does plan to expand the store's produce department. Berkeley's stores are known for their fresh produce and meat, Ortiz said.
Amstadt's owner Frank Amstadt thinks Berkeley Finer Foods will do a good job with the store.
"I think it is a good thing," Amstadt said. "They have three very nice stores."
And he liked that Berkeley Finer Foods was also an independent grocery store.
At age 68, Amstadt said he is ready to retire. He and his wife, Irene, own the store.
"It is time to go fishing," said Amstadt, of Wheaton.
For Gertrude Ruppenthal, shopping at Amstadt's has been convenient. She lives on Church Street on the city's east side.
"I've walked over here a lot of times," she said. "I was so glad when Amstadt's came after Walt's closed. I hope the store is as good or better than this one."
