A beloved local grocery store in the San Fernando Valley closes its doors tomorrow.
After more than 20 years in West Hills, the shelves at Fields Market are almost empty and owners Bill Rinck and Richard Smith are saying their last goodbyes.
“It’s hard to see everything go and say goodbye to customers,” Smith told KNX News’ Karen Adams. “It’s been really hard. It’s kind of a family market, so we know all our customers really well.”
Norma Loftus is one of those regular customers. She said she’s not pleased to see the market close to make way for the expansion of the nearby Chaminade High School.
“It's just been a wonderful little market to come to all the time without having to go to the big ones, and it’s just friendly. Everybody knows who you are,” she said.
“I’m not going to shed a tear, and life goes on, but it’s a bummer that the local grocery store is nonexistent anymore,” Norma’s husband Kelly added. “Now we gotta go into the chains.”
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More than 400 TV shows and film productions, including Desperate Housewives and 7th Heaven, have used the store as a backdrop.
“To watch TV and see your store pop up over and over, it’s kind of fun,” Smith said.
Smith said he and Rinck are planning to retire.
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