Midtown Fiesta to permanently close 'despite tremendous efforts' - Houston Chronicle

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A well-known Fiesta Mart on San Jacinto will close permanently, according to its parent company.

First reported by ABC13, the Midtown store will close Friday. Lilia M. Rodriguez, community relations manager for Bodega Latina Corp., cited competition as a reason for closing.

“The decision to close this store was not taken lightly, but due to the expiration of our lease and a number of newer grocery stores in the area we had to make this difficult decision,” she said in a statement sent to the Chronicle. “Despite tremendous efforts by our dedicated store employees and our operations, buying, merchandising and other support teams, sales performance of the store has continued to decline over the past few years.”

Fiesta had been leasing its Midtown site from Rice University, which owns multiple blocks in the immediate area, including the former Sears department store building.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-based Fiesta Mart to be acquired by El Super grocery chain

Rice Management Co., which is responsible for the university’s endowment and real estate holdings, had extended the grocer’s lease multiple times over the past few years and was willing to provide another extension, said Ryan LeVasseur, Rice Management’s managing director of direct real estate.

“Although we expressed our desire for Fiesta to remain at this location, we recognize the market challenges associated with operating in an increasingly competitive context and we respect Fiesta’s decision to close the store before the end of its lease,” LeVasseur said in a statement to the Chronicle.

Fiesta signaled to Rice several months ago that it did not plan to operate a store at 4200 San Jacinto beyond the end of its current lease, LeVasseur said. He said Rice was not in a position to discuss plans for the property.

Fiesta Mart, founded in Houston 46 years ago to cater to the Hispanic population, has struggled in recent years to maintain its customer base amid mounting competition from larger grocers eyeing the fast-growing consumer segment.

Store employees will have the opportunity to work at other Fiesta locations in the Houston area, Rodriguez said.

“We want to express our thanks and gratitude to all of our valued customers over the years,” she said. “We look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve our customers across all of our stores in the Greater Houston market.”

amanda.drane@chron.com

nancy.sarnoff@chron.com

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Midtown Fiesta to permanently close 'despite tremendous efforts' - Houston Chronicle
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