Roosevelt Row has experienced a loss in the community after the closing of Bodega 420, a neighborhood grocery store and local hangout spot committed to expanding the innovative identity of downtown Phoenix.
Adrian Fontes and his wife Mona Fontes opened Bodega 420, located on the corner of Fifth and Roosevelt streets, in May 2012. One of the only grocery stores in downtown Phoenix, Bodega 420 hosted farmers markets every Tuesday and exposed local music and art shows at night and on First Fridays.
Bodega 420’s last official day of operation was May 15, just two years after its opening. The store hosted its final blowout sale on Wednesday from 4 to 10 p.m. During the final sale, local artists performed as people came together to enjoy the final day of Bodega 420.
Adrian Fontes said he and Mona made the decision to close Bodega because it became a major investment of their time. Since he practices law, Mona ran the business from top to bottom, and that took away from their family.
Fontes said it’s important that the community knows why they closed and that it was a decision that just needed to be made.
“Personally we gain more from being home with the kids,” he said. “It was a choice between potential business interest or spending time with the kids … it was an easy choice once it was laid out.”
Fontes said closing the store was a sacrifice and a difficult decision, but it ensured their ability to spend time with their family. Fontes said that he will always be active in the community and that their Roosevelt Row family is important as well.
The employees of businesses surrounding Bodega 420 said while they understand the reason behind the closing, their Roosevelt Row family still feels a little smaller now.
Hillary Catlin, manager at Bliss/ReBar, said that since Bodega 420 was so close it made everything convenient and comfortable.
“It was your neighbor, it was your friend,” Catlin said. “It felt like you were going over to grandma’s. … What am I going to do now?”
Tabitha Bell, former volunteer at Bodega 420 and current employee at Jobot Coffee and Dining — which is owned by Bodega 420 co-owner John Sagasta — said that before she volunteered at the grocery she didn’t realize how important it was to the community.
“Before I volunteered I didn’t use it much. … It always seemed quiet, but when I volunteered it really showed how many people used it,” Bell said. “It’s sad they aren’t here anymore.”
Now that the store has closed, some businesses in the area are worried that the loss of another business could deter investors from coming to Roosevelt Row. Mitch Nieuwland, a manager at Pallets Food and Bar, said he was worried the empty buildings are keeping potential business away.
“More things are empty and it’s not going to be good for the area,” Nieuwland said.
He said that Bodega 420 was a great mom-and-pop shop, but the area needs something that will keep people walking around. The more businesses in the area, the more people get out of their cars and walk around, he said.
Because Fontes is so involved within the community, he said he is always looking for new investments and is really excited about what’s coming next.
Skyla Taylor, employee at ice cream shop Melt., said that having an independent grocery in the area was much better that the average convenience store, and since it was so near to where she lived it was much easier to get to. She added that she is excited to see what comes next but doesn’t want to see the place filled with a chain business.
Kat Moore, co-owner of Short Leash Hot Dogs’ Sit … Stay, said that without the community they are in, the area would not be the same.
“We are a community — if we were here by ourselves we wouldn’t make it,” Moore said. “So it’s not necessarily a loss, it’s the next thing.”
Contact the reporter at Brittani.Gomez@asu.edu
