Bethany Clough

Vallarta Supermarkets is planning to open its first location in Clovis. What we know

The Vallarta Supermarket at Clinton and Weber avenues offers freshly made food in this Fresno Bee file photo.
The Vallarta Supermarket at Clinton and Weber avenues offers freshly made food in this Fresno Bee file photo. jwalker@fresnobee.com

Hispanic supermarket giant Vallarta is planning its first location in Clovis.

The grocery store has signed a lease to open in the former Alorica call center at 170 W. Shaw Avenue, near Villa Avenue, both the City of Clovis and Vallarta confirmed.

The store will go into 52,000-square-foot empty space between Harbor Freight and Ross in the Village Square shopping center.

No opening date has been set.

It could be many months — or more — before it opens as the company still needs to renovate the space. It has not filed any permits to start work with the city yet.

Vallarta

Vallarta has about 50 stores in California, selling traditional foods from Mexico, Central and South America.

The popular supermarket has three stores in Fresno.

Its arrival is a change for Clovis. Although the city has few small markets that sell Hispanic ingredients and meat, it doesn’t have an El Super or El Toro Loco.

Vallarta is a full-line grocery store with a carnicería (butcher shop), flower shop and fresh produce section. Its bakery makes pan dulce (Mexican sweet breads) and warm tortillas.

The stores also carry lots of Latino prepared foods, including pupusas (a thick corn tortilla stuffed with various ingredients), soups, carnitas, tamales, and burritos. They can be delivered or pre-ordered online for pick up.

Drinks, including fresh-made aguas frescas, are also popular.

Prepared meats are available by the pound, such as al pastor, a Mexican pork dish.

MADERA -- A woman shops for fresh produce during opening day of the Vallarta Supermarket in Madera in this file photo from 2020.
MADERA -- A woman shops for fresh produce during opening day of the Vallarta Supermarket in Madera in this file photo from 2020. JUAN ESPARZA LOERA jesparza@vidaenelvalle.com

This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 11:53 AM.

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Bethany Clough
The Fresno Bee
Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers’ questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.
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