La Michoacana Meat Market to close its doors

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - After nearly 15 years in Wichita Falls, La Michoacana Meat Market will close its doors on Saturday.

“Not only was it a Latin supermarket but a lot of Africans, Asians and Americans came in during lunchtime, so I think closing it will have a huge impact,” Ivette San Miguel, La Michoacana assistant manager, said.

San Miguel said the store’s owner couldn’t come to an agreement with the new contract and therefore decided to close it. La Michoacana had groceries, a restaurant and a bakery, and was more than just a meat market for the community.

“It’s going to be a big loss for everybody,” Shaun McCrary, La Michoacana customer, said. “I mean things have been really tough as it is, and without a place like this nearby, I mean I don’t know what I’m going to do for good food, you know, so it’s kind of a big deal.”

“Honestly, it’s impacted me a lot,” Denmy Zuniga, La Michoacana customer, said. “I never thought they would close, it’s my favorite store, and after they close, well I don’t know if there will be another one and it’s sad to be honest that they’re closing.”

Keyla Ahow, with the Zavala Hispanic Cultural Initiative, said the supermarket was special because of the cultural products they provided their customers and believes it’s important to have that variety.

“I can find the products from Venezuela right there too, so I used to buy the dough, the flour that I use for the dough, for my arepas, so it’s going to be deeply missed for sure,” Ahow said. “We’re not the same community we were 5 years ago or ten years ago so it seems were growing were getting more different. We have more Asians, we have more Indians, we have more Hispanic community, so the importance to have that variety it’s deeply needed.”

Not only is the community losing one of the sole Hispanic grocery stores in Wichita Falls, but 22 employees have lost their jobs. However, the company did offer each of the employees jobs in other areas.

“It could be that some have accepted and will go to Dallas or Fort Worth or Oklahoma, however there’s others that, well, we have our families here our kids in school, and we’ll be without a job for now,” San Miguel said.

San Miguel said the store owner has mentioned possibly re-opening in one to two years completely renovated, but nothing is set in stone.

Copyright 2022 KAUZ. All rights reserved.