A Visit to the Chama Valley Supermarket

"Der Gila Monster" in front of the Chama Valley Supermarket in northern New Mexico, the weekend after the store's re-opening. The previous store building had collapsed in heavy snows during February 2008, so the community had been without a full-line grocery store for ten months. The new store has a much stronger roof, and is also much larger, with something like twice the floor area of the old Chama Valley Supermarket, which had been bought by Lowe's Supermarkets the year before. The new store has an expanded liquor and beer area, has moved fruit and produce to the front of the store, and has added a "Ranch and Garden Center" on one side with lots of hardware, tools, sporting goods, small and large appliances, and garden supplies, with a side door to an outdoor garden center to be used during warmer months.

Ranch & Garden Center facade, Chama Valley Supermarket



Chama Valley Supermarket entrance

Inside the Chama Valley Supermarket

Meat cooler adjacent to the liquor and meat departments of the re-built Chama Valley Supermarket. Above and scattered around the rest of the store are some handsome and sometimes whimsical decorative touches.

Carnivore's Corner: The meat department is in the same relative position as in the old Chama Valley Supermarket, so carnivores will be able to easily track and corner their prey.

Frozen-foods aisle, Chama Valley Supermarket, December 21, 2008, just a few days after the store re-opened after being closed for ten months. The reopening was big news locally, with coverage on all three of Albuquerque's television news programs. Although some other shops carried very limited groceries and some household supplies, the Chama Valley Supermarket is the only full-line grocery store/supermarket in the area. While the store was closed, Chama Valley residents had to drive 25 to 75 miles each way to do their shopping.

Chama Valley Supermarket back in operation

Below are some views of the ranch and garden center side of the re-built and recently re-opened Chama Valley Supermarket.

appliance corner, with everything from small appliance to flat-screen televisions to ranges and refrigerators.

hardware aisle, Chama Valley Supermarket

The north end of the re-built Chama Valley Supermarket is a "Ranch and Garden Center", with hardware, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and garden supplies. In addition to being open to the rest of the supermarket, the ranch and garden center has its own entrance and also, during warmer months, opens onto an outdoor garden center.

view toward produce area in front of Chama Valley Supermarket

Chama Valley Supermarket back in business

After the roof of the Chama Valley's only grocery store had collapsed following heavy snows last February, the store had been out of business for several long months. Wednesday's re-opening of the re-built Chama Valley Supermarket was a truly big deal, attracting television coverage of residents returning to their new and improved supermarket. The new store is larger and adds new departments, giving residents and visitors more opportunities to avoid having to drive to Dulce (about 25 miles), Pagosa Springs, Colorado (50 miles), or Española (75 miles). This photo was sent by Belinda from Laguna Vista, who noted that the new store now sells such items as flat-screen televisions and barbeque grills; the photo shows the Chama Valley Supermarket just after it re-opened.