Jeff Ross said it's been tough to change shopping habits of longtime Hill District residents after 30 years without a full-service grocery, but sales at the Shop ‘n Save he opened there in 2013 are climbing.

Ross, 57, of North Huntingdon, who operates six other Shop ‘n Save stories in the region, said sales are up about $2,000 per month — about 2 percent — over 2014. Ross recently celebrated his second year at the Centre Avenue location.

“It's not anything anybody's going to get rich on, put it that way, but it's sustainability,” he said.

He said he was disappointed that a Rand Corp. study published last week found 68 percent of the Hill's 10,450 residents visit the store at least once monthly.

The study noted that eating habits of residents have improved somewhat since the store opened, but they couldn't link the change to the new store.

“Only 68 percent, that's the disheartening part. We want them all,” Ross said. “It's very hard to change people's shopping habits.”

Residents complained for years about the lack of a grocery, saying it was difficult for seniors and non-drivers to find transportation for shopping in other neighborhoods.

Kevin Acklin, who chairs the Urban Redevelopment Authority and serves as chief of staff for Mayor Bill Peduto, said the supermarket is an important part of development in the neighborhood.

“We think it's a core asset that's necessary for a neighborhood like the Hill District to function and grow,” Acklin said. “Our expectation is as we invest in housing and other opportunities in the greater Hill District, you're going to see even more demand for use of that grocery store.”

The Hill House Association and Economic Development Corp. built the $11.5 million grocery and adjoining retail space in the Centre Heldman Plaza.

The project received nearly $4 million in public subsidies, including $1.9 million in federal tax credits, $1 million from the Urban Redevelopment Authority and a $789,000 federal grant. Ross and the Penguins each invested $1 million.

Betty Dunbar, 67, of the Hill District said she shops at the store about three times a week.

“A lot of seniors around here, we don't have to go so far to get a loaf of bread now,” Dunbar said. “It's convenient.”

Hill House President and CEO Cheryl Hall Russell said the organization is working to attract tenants to fill two unoccupied storefronts in the plaza. Hill House is negotiating with former Steelers defensive back J.T. Thomas, who wants to open a Crazy Mocha coffee shop in one of the spaces.

“The ball is moving, and I feel very confident right now that it should happen probably sometime in the spring,” Thomas said.

A Dollar Bank branch, a Subway sandwich shop and a Farmer's Insurance office are leasing remaining spaces from the organization.

Shannon Faulhaber, 31, Ross' daughter and the store's chief operating officer, said the store has offered promotions and reached out to residents moving into the neighborhood to boost business.

Faulhaber sent 200 “welcome packs” including gift cards, coupons and other items to new residents of the Skyline Terrace development on the site of the former Addison Terrace projects.

The store is working with Hill House to place a sign on Centre Avenue and hopes to capitalize on housing planned for the neighborhood, including development of the former Civic Arena site.

“Our goal was to satisfy a request from folks in the Hill District for a full-service supermarket, and that, I know, we've provided, and we've provided it at affordable prices,” Ross said.

Bob Bauder is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com.

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