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After more than 70 years of service, off and on, the Fieldbrook Market & Eatery may close its doors for good. The owners of the beloved neighborhood grocery store took to Facebook on Friday morning to announce the “very difficult decision” to close the market “for the foreseeable future.”

If you’ve been to the Fieldbrook Market, you know it’s a lot more than a convenience store and sandwich shop: It’s an essential part of the community.

“It’s a really special place,” Lisa Springer, co-owner of the Fieldbrook Market, told the Outpost during a recent phone interview. “It’s always been a part of the community. We have a really tight-knit community here, so this is pretty rough news for our local folks.”

Springer and her husband Clark befriended the previous owners, Kelli and Ross Costa, after moving to Fieldbrook from Pennsylvania. A little over two years ago, Lisa said, she was talking to the Costas about using their commercial kitchen to make ramen when they asked if she and her husband were interested in buying the market.

“They had owned it for about six years at that point and were feeling like they were ready to let it go,” Springer said. “My husband and I felt like we were at a stage in our lives with our family that we were ready to take that on. We’ve had an absolutely amazing time doing it, you know, getting the community jazzed up again after COVID and being that community hub again.”

Unfortunately, rising costs have made it difficult to make ends meet, Springer said.

“I think it’s common knowledge that our local communities are struggling with the change in the economy, and we’ve been struggling too,” she said. “We’ve been trying to be creative with different pop-up events, trivia nights and more live music to get more people up here but we’re really remote. We can’t survive without people patronizing us, but I get it. Everyone is really struggling.”

When asked whether she and her husband would be open to selling the business, Springer said she’s open to the idea but they’re not quite sure what their next move is. 

“We’re just going to take a moment,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what that looks like right now. After the new year, we’ll probably have a firmer grip on what we’re doing and what the future looks like for the market. I just don’t want to put it in one box right now.”

Springer’s going to keep using the market’s commercial kitchen to make ramen for delivery and pick-up. She said she’s still figuring out the logistics, but folks interested in grabbing a bowl should keep an eye on the Fieldbrook Market’s Facebook page for more information in the coming weeks.

The market will be open during its regular hours this weekend and will close next week. They’re planning a big party on Friday, Dec. 15, with food, live music and one very, very special guest.

“Santa’s coming to town, which is a big deal for our local community,” Springer said. “He’ll arrive on the Fieldbrook firetruck around four o’clock. We’ll also have live music from the Lost Dogs.”

Do yourself a favor and grab a tri-tip sandwich before the market closes. Here’s hoping it won’t be closed for too long.