By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
McKINNEY, Texas — Another Kroger store in McKinney is closing.
The Kroger near El Dorado Parkway and Lake Forest Drive is scheduled to shut down March 7, according to a store employee who confirmed the date to TX3DNews.
The closure comes less than a year after Kroger shut down its store on W. University Drive, marking another major shift in grocery and pharmacy access for residents in the area.
Kroger has not issued a statement about the El Dorado and Lake Forest location as of publication time.
A longtime employee: transfers offered, but the change is personal
The employee, who asked not to be identified by name, said he has worked at the store for 23 years and that staff were told they would have opportunities to transfer to other Kroger locations.
“All employees will be offered opportunity to move to other stores,” he told TX3DNews.
For him personally, the change may mean less time on the road.
“I will actually have a shorter drive,” he said.
Still, he described the closure as an emotional reset after more than two decades in the same place.
“I’m sad because I won’t know many people I will be working with,” he said. “I will have to get to know my customers again.”
The employee said workers were not given a clear explanation for why the store is closing.
“No particular reason — we just theorizing,” he said.
Community post helped bring early attention to the closure
The closure news began circulating locally after Jared Tye posted about it on the McKinney Matters Facebook page, then shared the information in local community groups. Tye said the store had been a reliable option for his family, even as newer retailers have entered the market.
“Despite the newer, fancier stores like H-E-B and Market Street, my family really enjoyed this Kroger as it was close to home and well managed,” Tye said. “The staff was always friendly and we could always find what we needed.”
The post quickly drew reactions from residents who said they would miss the store and its employees. “That store was like my second home!” one commenter wrote, while others posted messages like “Say it ain’t so!” Some also pointed to growing competition, while noting another Kroger remains nearby at El Dorado and Custer.
Pharmacy prescriptions expected to transfer to El Dorado & Custer
For many residents, the store isn’t just a grocery stop — it’s also where prescriptions are filled and managed. With the March 7 closure date now circulating, one of the biggest immediate concerns is what happens to the pharmacy.
The employee confirmed that prescriptions will be automatically transferred to the Kroger near El Dorado Parkway and Custer Road.
He did not have details on the timing of the transfer or whether customers will receive a direct notification. TX3DNews is seeking additional information from Kroger.
This would be the second Kroger closure in McKinney in under a year
The El Dorado and Lake Forest location would be the second Kroger store to close in McKinney within the past year.
In June 2025, Kroger closed its store at 1707 W. University Drive in McKinney. At that time, the company said the closure was part of a broader plan to operate more efficiently. Kroger also said employees affected by the University Drive closure would be offered transfers to other stores.
Kroger has not publicly said whether the El Dorado and Lake Forest closure is connected to that earlier decision.
What Kroger leadership has said publicly about closures and efficiency
Kroger has not issued a store-specific explanation for the McKinney closure. In recent remarks to investors, however, company leaders have signaled a push to tighten operations and focus spending on what they see as the strongest parts of the business.
Executives have said the company is prioritizing “running great stores,” while continuing to review assets and make changes across the network as part of that broader reset.
Kroger leadership has also pointed to changes in online grocery strategy — leaning more on store-based pickup and delivery — and has acknowledged that some locations are being closed as the company reshapes its footprint. Kroger has not said whether those broader corporate comments apply to the El Dorado and Lake Forest location.
A transition still unfolding
For employees, this isn’t just a closing date on a calendar — it’s the end of a place where relationships have built up over years, sometimes decades. For customers, it’s one more shift in where and how McKinney shops, fills prescriptions, and moves through everyday routines.
TX3DNews will continue seeking additional details from Kroger and will publish updates as they are confirmed.
Kroger closed its North Plano/121 location after 25 years to open a new Super Kroger across the street. Sounds like they just let the lease run out on the old location and are focusing on the newer one.