Ignacio residents will have a much closer drive for groceries starting Wednesday.
That's when Farmers Fresh Market is slated to open at 6 a.m.
The town has gone without a store for about a year after La Tienda Foods, a small chain based in Carslbad, N.M., abruptly pulled out of its lease and left town.
Two local families, the McClanahans and Lees, formed a company to open a new, larger store where Ignacio Shur-Valu used to be. The old building was razed Thanksgiving weekend, and the new 22,000-square-foot facility features a pharmacy, deli, meat market, bakery, and indoor and outdoor seating areas.
About 50 employees have been hired and are stocking the shelves. Frozen goods were set to arrive on Wednesday.
"This is not a box store," said Steve Chapman, the store manager. "We'll have a level of service not seen anymore." That includes carryout service, as well as enough staff on hand to help people find items they need, he said.
People have already come through a closed gate and into the store, asking if it's open yet.
Soon, promises general manager Amos Lee.
"The grocery store affects all businesses in town," Lee said. When shoppers go to Bayfield or Durango for their groceries, they buy other things there as well, which has had a ripple effect on local businesses.
"Everybody's very excited," Lee said. After next week's opening, the staff is planning a grand opening this fall.
Wells Liquor South is next door, with an entrance from the store, and KD's Caffe Latte is in the same shopping center.
Farmers Fresh is part of Affiliated Foods, a co-op of independent grocers based in Texas. House brands include Shur Fine and Western Family.
The pharmacy will be opening in a few more weeks and is one of the few pharmacies in the region that has a clean room for sterile compounding, Lee said.
The store has three entrances, two near the checkout and one close to the deli. A burrito bar will have breakfast burritos in the morning and lunch burritos in the afternoon.
"They're simple, but good quality," Lee said.
For now, store hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The telephone number is 563-4400.
