el-torito-logo.png

The newly vacant building that housed Erickson’s Thriftway in Madras will soon have a new resident. El Torito Supermarket, an Oregon local Mexican-inspired grocery store with six other locations in the state, plans to open in the building in November.

The market has locations in Salem, Woodburn, Eugene, Lincoln City and Klamath Falls, and provides at their other locations Hispanic-focused grocery items, as well as large meat market and produce section. Some locations also feature small deli-style restaurants, as well as a bakery.

Liliana Perez, the owner of El Torito Markets, says she’s ready to enter Central Oregon, and Madras’s significant Latino community, as well as location availability, inspired the choice.

“We are very excited to be in Madras and serve the Central Oregon region,” Perez said. “We hope to open soon and look forward to offering the community our products.”

City of Madras administrator Will Ibershof told Central Oregon Daily, “Thirty to 35% of our community’s Latino, and there’s definitely demand for that, and there’s definitely a strong interest in revitalizing that space within the community.”

He also spoke about excitement that the building will not sit vacant for long, “That’s a really big deal right now in this economy,” said Ibershof. “A lot of new home construction has been slowed down. Many folks are leery of taking on new options and new opportunities. So, seeing this turnaround so quickly is a big deal to us.”

The owners of El Torito say they hope to open the market in November and have already filed for business and liquor licenses. The building and lot include both the supermarket, and the AutoZone it shares a parking lot with, and is owned by Erickson’s Supermarkets, whose other locations in Central Oregon have remained open. Erickson’s Thriftway Madras closed officially on Sept. 27, 2024.