THE FIESTA ON N. SHEPHERD WILL BE SHUT DOWN IN 17 DAYS 
The Heights branch of parrot-adorned grocery store Fiesta Mart at 2300 N. Shepherd Dr. will be shuttered for good after closing time on March 27th, the store’s assistant manager told Betsy Denson of The Leader. The land has been owned by 2ML Real Estate since mid-2015, but 2ML president Jim Arnold, who’s other company owned the Fiesta until a few years ago, tells Denson it was Fiesta’s choice to bow out. As for the land itself, Arnold has “been approached by someone wanting to put in apartments – but any decision will wait for land studies and surveys. When asked if he’d like to see an H-E-B on the land, Arnold said he wouldn’t rule it out.” [The Leader; previously on Swamplot] Photo of Fiesta Mart at 2300 N. Shepherd Dr.: Terah K.
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That Fiesta lasted longer than I thought against the onslaught of gentrification. But, it had to fall eventually since I’m sure there’s a need for more mattress stores, banks, and coffee shops all jammed onto that plot of land.
I’ve been going there since the Fiesta near me closed down at 14th and Studewood.
The Shepherd Fiesta had a funky smell and did not seem to be nearly as clean as the old one at 14th / Studewood.
Good luck getting a loan to put up more “luxury” apartments in this area. The inner loop is already saturated with multi-family coming on over the next 12-14 months.
Will miss buying produce here. Fiesta produce was always fresher and less expensive than Kroger.
That place and the old Sears north of the loop have been on life support for a while
I am curious whether there is really demand for more apartment complexes in the Heights, esp. given the crash in oil prices (assuming that many of these high-end apartments are rented by young people who come to Houston for jobs and want an inner-loop location without the long-term commitment of ownership). The apartment complex at Yale and 6th Street doesn’t seem very full, and they are in the process of building a second phase one block south. They are also building a huge complex in Woodland Heights. There are a gazillion more new complexes in nearby midtown, Montrose, etc. I understand that developers will build what the market wants, but I really can’t imagine there’s an immediate need for apartments. An HEB is of course everyone’s wet dream, but any form of retail seems more sensible.
I am not going to cry about this.
Is Fiesta still opening stores anywhere? Seems like all I hear about are closings.
I will miss their dirty floors, oddly cut meat and fly covered fruit.
Fiesta got bought last year by an East Coast investor. They have a lot more competition in the Hispanic market now that Mi Tienda, Joe V’s and Aldi have entered the market. It only makes sense to get out of the rapidly gentrifying inner city and focus on competing where their main market is.
Unfortunately, HEB will not touch this location as it is in the dry zone. Although, you have to give Fiesta credit for opening a booze shop down the street. But I do not see HEB thinking outside the box like that.
Please, please put in a HEB! Kroger sucks and needs competition in this area. Over on NextDoor, someone commented that they chatted with Scott McClelland and he said HEB is looking at the area (didn’t specify where) but that there were liquor license issues. And he has 2 daughters that live in the area and are pushing for one here.
Also, the bar and surrounding land just north of the Fiesta are for sale. Will C&D scrap metal relocate??? Please!
I fell in the store I had to get two hip replacements they never paid me anything I’m 23 my name is Taquria Richardson
I really like shopping at Fiesta and i thought other white people did too. oh well, maybe we’ll get another Heights Walmart out of this!
I will miss you Fiesta. You were always a great source for sacks of crawfish, fish, plate lunches and crazy/fun items that I would get near the checkout lines. On the flip side, we may now see a decrease in shopping carts entering the neighborhood. Yea.
Maybe it’s time for Heights residents to amend the boundaries of the dry zone.
This is a real loss, their international section is legendary, and the produce was good. Rumor has it HEB is coming to the Oak Forest/Garden Oaks area, you heard it here first. They’re apparently looking for a suitable plot of land to build on. Way over due on that..
i felt like that indian in the 1970 psa commercial when they closed the one on studewood…..
@Gary D – What business leader in their right mind bases multi-million dollar decisions on what their daughters want?
@Old School – Despite the name “Fiesta,” I am not convinced that the store is (today) geared only for Hispanic shoppers. The Fiesta in Midtown serves the greater Third Ward, and generally has more international shelf space than Latin items (Kosher, Indian, European, etc.). I used to shop almost exclusively at the Fiesta on Dunlavy before it got axed and replaced by HEB, and I saw predominately white middle class people there shopping with me. That location felt more like a traditional American grocery store, yet it still died. Not disagreeing with you about gentrification being the main kill-switch, though.
@Taquria – [Blank stares and awkward silence]