After 45 years, this locally owned grocery store in Fresno has closed
Kristina’s Natural Ranch Market in Fresno has closed after 45 years of selling healthy food.
The locally owned grocery store at Barstow Avenue and First Street closed earlier this month.
For decades, the store sold organic produce, vitamins and healthy foods, long before it became mainstream, and years before supermarkets Whole Foods or Sprouts came to town.
Kristina’s was also known for carrying food from local companies, including poultry from Sanger-based Mary’s Free Range Chicken and Lemoore-based Dairy Goddess cheese.
Jim Belcher founded the store and ran it with his wife, Cynthia. The business was named after daughter Kristina. He died in 2016.
No one from the store was immediately available to talk about why it closed.
Responding to a post about the closure on Facebook, customers mourned the closure of the store and shared kind words with the staff.
Said one: “Nooooo! I had no idea! Thank you for helping us all these years! You will be truly missed.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2023 at 10:29 AM.
