Background: Implementing food stores in deprived neighborhoods to improve access to healthy food is a debated topic. Aims: To uncover important contributors to the closure of grocery store interventions in urban food deserts. Method: We systematically reviewed both peer-reviewed and gray literature for publications on the failure of grocery store interventions. Results: We found nine articles on six different failed food stores. The reasons stated for closure included low sales, a lack of food retail experience, poor marketing, and difficulty in attracting and retaining a high volume of consumers from the local market. Discussion: Current literature on the topic of the closure of inner-city grocery stores does not have a concise rationale to explain why inner-city grocery store interventions were not successful. Conclusion: We must consider the most appropriate interventions to improve food environments in food deserts using local and national policies to address the social determinants of health.