Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin stated the obvious during the ribbon-cutting for the new El Paso Mas Grande store on the city’s far West Side.
“This is a grocery store that is beloved,” he said.
If the 40 years in business on Aurora’s East Side was not enough indication, the fact that hundreds packed the parking lot at 2134 W. Galena Blvd. for the ribbon-cutting Thursday of the new West Side store bore witness to the store’s popularity.
“This parking lot has never been this packed,” Irvin said. “After 40 years of investing in this city, they are now investing even more.”
With the happy sound of a mariachi band providing the soundtrack, people sang, clapped and cheered as the city did the traditional ribbon-cutting, and its signature ringing of the bell, to signal the opening of El Paso Mas Grande in the former Aldi store that has been empty for a while.
“It’s always special when we have a business in town who wants to open more businesses,” said Ald. Carl Franco, 5th Ward, whose ward includes the store. “They understand the community, and they want to give back to the community.”
That has been the reputation of the El Paso grocery stores for years on Aurora’s East Side, where there are two locations. The store was started by Leopoldo and Celia Rodriguez, and is a family business in every sense of the word with the next generation, Jaime Rodriguez, now running the store.
“I’m excited this happy day has finally come, and I’m excited to get everyone inside,” Jaime Rodriguez said.
He said while the store design celebrates his late father, the driving force was his mother, who stood behind him during Thursday’s festivities.
“It’s been my mother who kept it going all these years,” he said.
The family invested more than $3.4 million in the new store, but fell short when a bevy of problems came up, including the coronavirus pandemic, a fire in one of their East Side stores, roof damage at the planned West Side location and a vendor that, after being paid around $500,000, did not deliver promised equipment, officials said.
The Aurora City Council approved a $325,000 forgivable loan to the business to help the store get open.
“There were a number of issues,” Irvin said. “But you all know nothing comes easy. It was worth it to get these doors open.”
slord@tribpub.com
