Around 108 people attended a community discussion on Thursday, April 27 — the first of what are expected to be several meetings.
“It’s been an emotional situation and we all have a lot of thoughts about this,” said Monica Collins, a Rochester resident who led the group.
Collins is the associate director for career services at Vermont Law School and was formerly the general manager of the South Royalton Market coop. She is also part of the Feeding the Valley Alliance Drive, which helps provide food access in the Upper Valley. She formed a Facebook group and rallied the community to work together on a solution.
“We came to the idea that somebody had to do something,” Collins said in a phone interview. “There are quite a few people who shop here exclusively — that’s a big loss.”
Collins formed a Facebook group that quickly grew to 75 people after Mac’s Market announced on March 31 that the store would close its doors on May 19. The nearest grocery stores to Rochester are about 24 miles away in Middlebury, Randolph or the Mad River Valley.
Mac’s Market, a local convenience store company, was family-owned for 40 years until it was announced in 2021 that the company would sell 13 stores located in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts to Global Partners LP. It was announced at the time that all the Vermont stores, including those in Woodstock, Essex, Stowe and Rochetser would continue to operate.
Attempts to reach the company weren’t successful. Controller Stephanie Svahn confirmed in an email statement to the Herald of Randolph that Mac’s in Rochester is closing after more than two decades.
“We have decided to close the store so that we can focus our resources on the long-term success of our other stores in Woodstock, Essex, and Stowe,” the statement read. “It has been a privilege to serve the Rochester community and we are grateful for and appreciate all of our employees and loyal customers, who have supported us. This decision has not been an easy one or made hastily, and although we are saddened by it, we are hopeful that the right person or business will take this opportunity to continue operating the store.”
The Rochester building is listed for $550,000.
Collins asked residents to write their wishes for a new grocery store on a piece of paper at the meeting.
“There’s a lot of distress that I think we’re all feeling but there’s a lot of opportunity here,” said resident Anna Issacson adding that she wanted to see improvements from Mac’s Market.
One suggested getting a group of investors together to purchase the building and operate it as a coop. Some wanted to have local products, affordable food, eclectic items, a flea market, a play area for kids. One suggested putting apartments on the building to expand housing, to a resounding “yes” from the audience.
The situation isn’t unique to Rochester. In 2012, the Barnard General Store, which dates back to 1832, announced it was closing, leaving residents without access to a nearby grocery store. Residents rallied to raise $500,000 and bought the building to keep the store operating as a community-owned nonprofit.
Jackson Evans, a field service representative for the Vermont Preservation Trust, who worked closely to help Barnard General establish the Barnard Community Trust, suggested a similar community supported model in Rochester.
“We’re here to help you save your community in any way we can,” he said.
Collins wasn’t sure that would be feasible, however.
“I think it would be really difficult to fundraise and buy it in time before it closes,” Collins said by phone. “I think that would be highly unlikely given the logistics and timeframe. I don’t know how we’ll move forward. That’s something we’re going to all have to come together on.”
In the meantime, Rochester resident Justin Stover said he was willing to go to Hannaford in Middlebury twice a week to pick up groceries for residents.
“I think that’s something very realistically needed in the short-term,” he said.
A short-term solutions meeting is scheduled for May 3 at 7 pm. where the goal is to develop a committee that will drive to area grocery stores and help pick up groceries.. A long-term solutions meeting will be scheduled for next week.
“This is a community that rallies around each other,” Collins said by phone. “I think we’ll come up with something — it will take us all to brainstorm on what that will be.”
