Court Approves Tops Grocery Store Restructuring Plan

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Western New York's Tops grocery chain says it expects to emerge from bankruptcy "shortly," after a court approved its restructuring plan.

Tops Markets chief executive Frank Curci said Thursday the chain is poised to be a stronger and more competitive company.

Headquartered in the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville, Tops announced in February that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since then, it's announced the closing of 10 stores and gotten court approval for a pension agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents most of its workers.

Tops now has 159 supermarkets and 14,000 employees.