City Market, a beloved independent grocer and decades-old Burleson staple, is closing after a protracted dispute over rent spilled out in public, pitting shopper against shopper over who is to blame for the store’s demise.
In early January, store owner Kurt Jaeger said he was “praying for a miracle” that might keep City Market open, but shortened hours, liquidation prices and an “Everything Must Go” sign that appeared in front of the market on Feb. 2 seemingly put to rest any hopes for that. As of now, Jaeger expects the store to close by Feb. 21.
A quarrel between Jaeger and Camille Bransom, who owns the building and is the daughter of the store’s founder, goes back months. Over the past few weeks, the dispute has grown more contentious, with Burleson residents taking sides in the fight.
Jaeger and his wife, Jill, announced news of the closure in a video message posted to Facebook on Jan. 6. At the time, Jaeger said he was shocked to have been served an eviction notice after engaging in lease negotiations with Bransom.
“Our entire City Market family is devastated, heartbroken and shocked that it has to come to an end in this manner,” Jaeger said in the video. “This is not — I repeat, not — what Jill and I wanted, and this is not our choice.”
Bransom, however, disputed that. She said the Jaegers have paid the same rent for 20 years and that she just wants to get fair market value for the property.
Regardless, the announcement sent shock waves through the community. Opened in 1959 near Burleson’s historic Old Town district, City Market has long been a cozy alternative to chain grocery stores. About half the size of an HEB or Kroger, its status as one of the last of the independent holdouts against big-box incursion has made it beloved in the area.
The store employed approximately 40 people, some of whom had been with the Jagers for decades.
A Change.org petition to save City Market has gotten over 2,100 signatures. Haleigh Helcl, an elementary school teacher who created the petition, said she remembers going to the store years ago for a kindergarten class field trip, back when it was called Bransom’s. The Jaegers purchased the business from the Bransom family in 2003.
After moving back to Burleson a few years ago, one of Helcl’s first stops was to City Market. At the time, her husband was overseas on a military deployment. When Jill Jaeger learned this, she surprised Helcl by paying for her groceries.
“They support our town, they support our kids,” Helcl said. “They are good people.”
Bransom, in a message posted to Facebook on Jan. 9, challenged the Jaegers’ version of events through a spokesperson.
“There’s nothing ‘shocking’ that has transpired,” the post read, “and it is their choice not to sign the lease that was presented. We’ve been trying, in good faith, to negotiate a lease renewal for nearly a year. City Market enjoyed the same rate for over 20 years. The rate we last offered City Market is extremely low for Old Town Burleson. City Market has refused to sign a lease renewal at a reasonable amount, so they are choosing to leave.”
That post received 355 comments, the majority of them supporting Bransom.
“It’s a shame that you’re having to deal with somebody that is complaining about having the same rate for 20 years,” said one.
Another user took to the Burleson Area Small Business Facebook page to defend Bransom.
“The thought that (Bransom) was arbitrarily evicting them in a greedy business move is not true and outrageous considering the lengths she went to resolve this in a civil manner.”
Calls to Bransom were not returned. Chad Henderson with Rockin H Realty, the firm that manages the City Market property on behalf of Bransom, declined to comment, calling the controversy “a distraction.”
In his original statement, Jaeger said he and Jill were “not finished fighting,” but in a follow-up conversation a few days later, Jaeger expressed doubts about the two sides coming to an agreement. He said he simply couldn’t afford the new rent, and offered to open his books up to Bransom to support that argument.
City Market employees are now looking for new jobs, though many fear they will never find the same familial atmosphere they’ve enjoyed. Jaeger previously dismissed any notion of starting over at a new location, saying he was too close to retirement for that.
“This is the hardest thing,” wrote employee Mandi Ward on Facebook. “I’ve worked here for almost 5 years. (The Jaegers) are the best people, and I’m so blessed to have worked here at City Market Burleson. And I’m praying that this is not the end and we will continue to have the store open. This will affect so many people’s families in so many ways including mine!!”
Chanda Kisor is the third of four generations of her family to be employed at City Market. It began with her grandfather, who worked part time at the Jaegers’ Fort Worth location. Then it was her father, who delivered groceries. Next was Kisor, who started at City Market 21 years ago. Recently, her son was hired on as a cashier.
“This wasn’t the plan,” Kisor said of the closing. “It still hasn’t hit me. There’s still a lot of work to do, so I haven’t been able to fully wrap my brain around it.”
Like some other employees, Kisor hasn’t yet decided on her next move, but she said retailers in Burleson, including Kroger, Albertsons and Wal-Mart, have reached out to City Market workers and offered them positions.
On the afternoon of Feb. 3, shoppers streamed into City Market like old times. Some were unaware of the impending closure. For others, this trip to the grocery store felt like going to a wake.
“It’s like something’s been taken from your family,” said Jeff Lindsey, who has been shopping at City Market since the Jaegers bought it. “I’m used to old school, where everybody knows your name, and that’s what this was. Kind of like Cheers. So now you go to another store, and you’re just going to be another face.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
Matt Adams
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
817-390-7014
Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025.
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