Dollar General looks to be closing a bundle of stores in New Orleans

It appears Dollar General is leaving New Orleans East.

Local media outlet Nola.com reports that five stores have posted signs on their doors that they will be closing as of Aug. 14. Currently, New Orleans has 11 Dollar General locations.

Advocate group Step Up Louisiana protested the closures outside the Dollar General store on Morrison Road on Tuesday. As many as 50 workers would lose their jobs if the locations were powered off, and the east side of New Orleans would become a food desert.

The five locations are in low-income neighborhoods where retail options are scarce.

“After a thorough review, we are closing five stores in New Orleans by mid-August,” said Dollar General in an emailed statement to Supermarket News. “Employees will have the opportunity to transfer to nearby stores. We have a longstanding history in the Crescent City, having opened our first DG more than 40 years ago, and we remain committed to serving local communities in New Orleans at our other locations.”

Dollar General, headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tenn., has 20,104 locations in the U.S. as of July 30, according to ScrapeHero.