Kayla Jack of Saxonburg misses the Saxonburg Friedman's Fresh market grocery store across from her apartment building. Since the store closed in January, Jack must pack up her three children and drive to Butler Commons to access a grocery store.

The supermarket with more than a century of business in the county closed its doors in January.

Friedman’s Freshmarkets succumbed to a dispute with its distributor, Merchants Distributors Inc. of North Carolina, which had left its shelves depleted for several months before the closing.

Friedman’s and MDI then sued each another over the closing, with Friedman’s contending that MDI’s business practices caused the stores’ failure and MDI testifying that Friedman’s officials failed to pay bills on grocery items sent to the store as agreed upon in the two companies’ contract.

A judge at federal court in Pittsburgh in early October ruled in favor of MDI. Although the attorney for Friedman’s vowed to appeal the ruling, court documents showed that the two companies agreed on a settlement and the case was closed.

Yet to be decided: The fate of the former store buildings in Butler, Butler Township, Saxonburg and Chicora.