Millerton Fresh Market closes business, community responds

MILLERTON — Local residents are advised to reevaluate their options for grocery shopping in the region now that Millerton Fresh Market has closed for business.

It was only last month that The Millerton News reported on the community’s concerns about the price of food and groceries running out at the store, located at 122 Route 44 in Millerton. Yet when asked to comment on the talk taking place among customers, owner Chris Cho clarified that he and his family wanted to provide quality food and asked for the public’s patience as they built up their business.

When speculation about the market closing for good began spreading across the community, many attempted to reach out to the market — whether it was online or by calling on the phone. One local resident reported that she called the store and contacted the store through its Facebook page, though neither communication received a response. Stopping by Millerton Square for a look at the store, customers discovered on Monday, June 17, file folders taped on the windows with the word “Closed” written on them.

While Joe Cho, Chris’ son and one of the store’s owners, was able to confirm by phone on Monday, June 17, that the store is closed, he didn’t disclose any further details as to how he and his family arrived at their decision. Additionally, he had no comment as to whether the market’s closure would have an impact on his family’s other business, Sharon Farm Market, in neighboring Sharon, Conn. 

In the meantime, the food inside the building will be put to good use at local food pantries, helping people in need. Volunteers could be found inside the store on Monday morning taking food off the shelves and packing it away to donate to the food lockers, like the one at the Millerton Presbyterian Church. 

Wandering through the market, there was row after row of bare shelves and refrigerators. A couple of store components had been removed from the building, such as the refrigerated area that used to hold the specialty cheeses and the space that once held different cuts of meat. 

With plenty of boxes and cartons at their disposal, local volunteers from the church and the nonprofit Community Cares stripped the shelves of its food and worked quickly to package the items in need of refrigeration. Though they were all called to pitch in, none of them was given any notice as to what was happening with the market in Millerton.

Volunteer David Ackerman, a resident of New Milford, Conn., simply said, “I was asked to come in and help out.”

“I really don’t have an idea of what happened,” said volunteer Gail O’Halloran. “They really didn’t advertise.”

“Last I was told, they were doing repairs and reopening,” said volunteer Nicole Legrand before adding, “Guess not.”