Local grocery chain Food Town will soon shutter the doors of its newest location. Food Town opened just under a year ago, replacing Arlan’s Market. According to a Facebook post from the Santa Fe Junction Shopping Center, the store wasn’t getting enough business to justify staying open. This store was originally operated as a Big Chief Foods outlet and is still owned by the family that originally operated it. In 2011, Big Chief Foods closed, and Arlan’s moved in. Arlan’s was sold to the owners of La Michoacana in 2023, who have signaled they do not wish to open a store in Santa Fe. With the only other option in town being a small HEB, competition is stiff, and the larger chain has an obvious upper hand. At this point, there is no tenant set to move into the space, leaving HEB as the only grocer in Santa Fe once again.
