Alfalfa’s delivered memories,
Connections won’t die with its closing
As the Alfalfa’s grocer y in Boulder launched its closing sale Friday, Boulder residents who enjoyed nearly four decades of ser vice by a store that to many embodied the city’s appetite for community and healthy living expressed disappointment over its planned depar ture.
It was announced Thursday that Alfalfa’s, at 1651 Broadway, is bringing its nearly 38-year run to an end, one more business felled by the coronavirus pandemic. Its doors will be locked for a final time next week, the exact timing to be determined by the progress of the ongoing sale.
Morgan Collins, previously the front-end supervisor of Alfalfa’s, enjoyed the aspect of going into work and socializing with customers and coworkers, especially during the pandemic. However, as the store prepares for closure, Collins will no longer be able to continue seeing familiar faces of regular shoppers.
Collins recalls many of the kind people who employees met through their position at Alfalfa’s, especially one who they served just a day before they learned the store would be closing.
“She didn’t know we were closing down, but she gave me a bottle of rosé with a thank you note saying
‘Thanks for your positive energy and good attitude all the time; I hope you enjoy this bottle,'” Collins said.
Alfalfa’s workers won’t be the only ones missing the enjoyable social interactions that were integral to daily fabric of life at the store.
“My wife and I’ve gotten to know a number of people there because we usually shop early in the morning, which is when they’re stocking shelves and vegetables. And so we’ve gotten to know them all, through the years,” said Phil Penningroth, a local resident.
Though some workers were offered positions at other Alfalfa’s locations, that’s not an ideal option for some.
“I think a lot of the cashiers are in the same boat I’m in, where this is something we have been dedicated to putting our time and effort into. And after being told that we’re closing down, and not everyone can be offered a position at the other store, it’s been pretty heartbreaking but understandable,” Collins said.
Frequent shopper and local resident Rosie Fivian will miss the store and what it has to of fer — and not just in the aisles, on the shelves or in the sales bins.
Fivian will also not soon forget the well-known large rooster at the front of Alfalfa’s. Also known as Alfie, the iconic bird was commissioned by Alfalfa’s back in 2011. Fivian hopes the sculpture will come to roost in a place such as a local park, to help long-time customers remember the shop.
Another group of regular customers is also sad to see the store go. Across the street from Alfalfa’s lies the Presbyterian Manor Senior Living complex. The building houses many residents who used Alfalfa’s as their primary grocery shop, due to its easy accessibility.
“It’s nice when you have a reliable grocery store right across the street, you can go over and buy apples and whatever you need,” said Penningroth.
Alfalfa’s and Presbyterian Manor teamed up in 2015 to provide affordable and healthy dinners for the senior living residents. Penningroth was a key member on the committee at Presbyterian Manor, and ensured the program ran smoothly.
Penningroth enjoyed the meals himself, and found the program to be “more convenient” for himself and other residents. Now, he and his neighbors will no longer have access to the collaborated meal plans.
Although Alfalfa’s will now lack a physical footprint in the city, it plans to ser ve Boulder through e-commerce, and also with deliveries from its Louisville outlet. Owner Mark Homlish doesn’t rule out reopening in Boulder at a smaller location, and has said Alfalfa’s is also considering locations in Denver.
Though the closure of Alfalfa’s may be a sad occasion for many, that won’t erase many of the memories and opportunities the store has served up to local residents.
“It’s just a very lovely community that I’ve always been happy to be a par t of in Boulder,” Collins said.