After nearly 90 years, M. Rivas Supermarket in Pharr announces closure

One of the Rio Grande Valley’s longest-running family-owned grocery stores is preparing to close its doors.

M. Rivas Supermarket, a Pharr business that traces its roots back to 1938, announced this week that it will permanently close at the end of June, ending nearly a century of serving Valley families.

The announcement came in the retailer’s latest weekly sales circular and was accompanied by a letter from the Rivas family thanking customers for their support over the decades.

“As some of you may have noticed, our shelves have slowly begun to clear,” the family wrote. “It is with heavy hearts that we share that we have made the difficult decision to close our doors at the end of this month.”

The family did not provide a reason for the closure.

Founded in 1938, M. Rivas grew from a small neighborhood grocery into a longtime fixture in Pharr, serving multiple generations of Rio Grande Valley residents. The business described itself as having served the region for nearly a century.

“What began as a small family business grew into something far greater than we ever could have imagined,” the family wrote. “M. Rivas became more than just a store — it became a place of connection, conversation and community.”

The announcement prompted an outpouring of support on social media, where hundreds of customers shared memories of shopping at the store and thanked the family for decades of service.

In its farewell message, the family reflected on the relationships built through the business over the years.

“Though our doors may be closing, the memories and relationships built here will remain with us forever,” the statement said.

The store’s final advertised sales run through June 30 while supplies last.

It is the latest example of a longstanding independent retailer exiting the market amid continued changes in the grocery industry, where locally owned stores face growing competition from national chains, warehouse clubs and discount retailers.