Lund Food Holdings announced a reduction of operations at its store in downtown St. Paul at 10th and Robert, effective July 15.

In a news release, Lunds & Byerlys announced the store would replace staffed deli, meat, and seafood departments with self-serve selections, redesign store offerings to better suit demand, and would operate only from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., rather than 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. as it operates currently. (The Caribou Coffee on-site will continue to open at 7 a.m.)

Though the company declined to offer details on the circumstances that led to the reductions, the release referenced wanting to make sure the store was safe for customers and workers by reducing hours.

Social media accounts commenting on the changes referenced criminal activity and theft at the store. The release mentioned a goal of ensuring the store’s financial sustainability, indicating it was not sustainable in its current operating mode.

The 27,000-square-foot store opened in 2014 at the Penfield apartment complex, on the north end of downtown near the State Capitol and Regions Hospital.

The Capitol and central business district have been hit hard by work-from-home, with the St. Paul Building Owners and Managers Association currently reporting a downtown office vacancy rate of 31.5%. The store opened as and remains downtown St. Paul’s only full-format grocery store.

The Lunds and Byerlys brands were once two separate stores; the first Lunds store opened in Uptown Minneapolis in 1939.