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Props to the Chimborazo Market


Mark Holmberg has nice look what the Chimborazo Market has become as the neighborhood around it has changed over the past decade:

“It was pretty tough,” said longtime cashier Stacy Williams.

And oh-so slowly, the neighborhood came back to life.

“Now, you can see for yourself,” Williams said as she worked happily at the front of the store.

The whole block in front of the market has been redeveloped. The apartments behind were refurbished.

And the Chimborazo Market evolved into a complete inner city grocery, with fresh fruits, vegetables, freshly butchered meat and what customers say are the lowest prices in metro Richmond.

10 comments

Max 08/16/2012 at 8:41 AM

I’ve been reluctant to shop there. Looking forward to trying it out soon!

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Lucky Canine 08/16/2012 at 10:08 AM

I am also going to give this store a try in the next couple of days. I would rather spend my $s here on the Hill, where I live, than in Carytown, where I work. Hoping to find organic milk, a nice beer selection and decent bread. Does anyone know if they stock 40s and/or pipes and bowls? Really would like one store on the hill that does not stock these items.

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Eric Huffstutler 08/16/2012 at 10:19 AM

I too would like to keep my money in the neighborhood and the store had such a bad reputation with robberies and shady people hanging about… now will have to give it a try!

Eric

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Amy N-B 08/16/2012 at 11:16 AM

Who knew? I always thought Chimborazo Market was sketchy.

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Lynn (first time posting at CHPN) 08/16/2012 at 11:57 AM

I shop at Chimbo often. I know the man they hired to keep the place clean and he has a stellar work reputation. I love their slab cut thick bacon in the meat section. Their selection of beef is small, mostly T-bones and chuck roasts and ground beef. They have more pork and chicken. I know they bring in whole sides of hogs and cut them up there. I wouldn’t count on many organic products or good bread, yet. They cater to their current clientele, which is mostly seniors on Social Security and folks on food stamps. They are extremely busy the first week of every month. They have two vans to drive people home with their groceries. The first few times I went there, both Mr. and Mrs. Cho asked me to let them know what products I’d like them to stock, so don’t hesitate to ask for your favorites.

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ann 08/16/2012 at 2:47 PM

The prices and meat selections are good but sometimes the service leaves something to be desired. For instance, you stand in line waiting to pay for groceries and finally get to the cashier who tells you he only sells lottery tickets at that cash register…but there’s no sign indicating that’s so and you paid for groceries at that cash register a week before. Go figure. Fascinating to be there at the first of the month: Entire shopping carts going out the front door that are full to overflowing with nothing but packages of meat! My son used to live on the corner and he said you could buy packages of meat from some of the shoppers even cheaper than the store sold it for, because the meat was ‘paid’ for in the store with a government benefit card of some sort and then re-sold almost immediately.

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P.Mayo 08/16/2012 at 11:08 PM

Also worth mentioning is they’re the only business in Church Hill (that I know of) that offers key cutting. I’ve had many keys made at Lowe’s that ended up not working but I’ve never had a problem with the ones from Chimbo’s.

@#2-they definately sell 40’s (you can actually see a Hurricane Malt Liquor sign at the beginning of the video) and they’re beer selection overall isn’t great, but they’re willing to order other beers upon request.

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Nancy Hughes 08/17/2012 at 6:50 AM

I hope it is true that you can shop there and feel safe. And that they have fresh meats and produce.

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Brittany 08/26/2012 at 1:32 PM

i live down the street, and have picked up a few things from this market here and there. The meat selection and quality is good. quite cheap too. But in no way does this market have the best prices in the city. A lot of the package goods are marked up pretty high, and the meat prices are on par- if not more expensive than Kroger or Food Lion. Veggie’s they offer is next to nil. Same with Fruit. Its an okay market to get a few things here and there, but one such as myself could not get a full load of groceries there.

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