Alfalfa’s Market to close Longmont store after just more than five months

This story has been updated with additional details.

LONGMONT — Alfalfa’s Market is closing its newest store just more than five months after its opening, less than three weeks after it closed its longtime Boulder store.

In a statement, the company said it intends to close the store at 700 Ken Pratt Blvd. as early as March 23, depending on how much product is sold in a clearance sale. The closure will lead to 39 layoffs.

The grocery store’s board of directors made the decision in the past several days because the location’s foot traffic was insufficient, according to the company’s statement.

That contradicts president Mark Homlish’s comments to BizWest late last month, where he said the declines in foot traffic at the Longmont and Louisville locations weren’t deep enough to require closures at those locations. Homlish was unavailable for an interview Friday.

“Unfortunately, no one could predict the duration of the pandemic, and this timing proved to be incredibly difficult to introduce our unique retail concept to a new community,” the company said in a post announcing the closure.

The company said it will continue to operate its lone remaining store in Louisville.

Alfalfa’s was also sued this month by a Denver-based produce wholesaler, alleging that the Market was behind on $76,019 in payments and that Alfalfa’s is insolvent. The suit was settled days later out of court.

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