Fieldbrook Market Closes ... for Now 

When Lisa Springer approached her neighbors Ross and Kelly Costa about the Fieldbrook Market & Eatery three years ago, it was to rent space for making ramen. Springer had tried the Japanese take on Chinese noodle soup in San Francisco and gotten hooked. "Every city I go to, the first thing I do is look up the best ramen and try it," she says. A "passionate home cook," she started reading up on how to make it, scouring recipes and listening to ramen podcasts. After getting positive feedback on her own recipe from a couple pop-up events, she looked into cooking out of the market's kitchen. Instead of renting kitchen space, the Costas suggested buying the whole place.

Springer and her husband, Clark, lived four minutes away and relied on the market, where their daughter worked for a time. "It was a huge part of our lives," she says, and in January of 2022, she and Clark bought the place with the goal of sticking to the Costas' multipurpose model, with the market serving as a grocery shop, eatery and venue. And while it's been busy, she says rising costs and economic shifts have made overhead difficult to meet. Last week, a post on the market's Facebook page announced it would be closing Dec. 10 "for an extended period of time while we reset and possibly restructure." But Springer stresses it's only temporary.

First opened in the 1960s, the market has changed hands a few times in the last decade. But its importance in Fieldbrook has remained steady, with residents heading there to check their P.O. boxes, pay bills, shop, eat and socialize. "In a nutshell, it's a community hub. There is a bar, there is a restaurant, it's a small retail market [with] groceries, snacks and essentials, and then it's a venue," says Springer, noting there's outdoor seating and an event tent that hosts bands, karaoke, cornhole tournaments, wine tasting and more.

Both Clark and Lisa had decades of restaurant experience between them, managing and working front of house, respectively. Their scratch-made sauces and soups and made-to-order sandwiches and specials established a following, and soon they were experimenting with pop-ups. Lisa's friend Angela Schiaffo's served a trio of Italian pop-up dinners and Lisa started to offer her ramen at last. "It took me a really long time to dial it in," she says, adding she was pleased the response was strong.

Events, too, have made for profitable nights, according to Springer, who says the most recent trivia night had nearly two dozen teams. But those days don't necessarily balance out the winter dip in daily traffic and grocery sales that came earlier than expected this year, she says. Last year, cutting staffing helped the market stay in the black but this year it requires a break.

Springer says she doesn't like to complain, knowing nearly every business is feeling the crunch right now. "The market is really popular ... but we're feeling the effects of the economy and seeing it every day, where our costs of goods and services are going up and people coming in to drink and eat are down." While the Fieldbrook Market is a staple for locals, she recognizes that with gas prices high, those who live farther away have to consider the cost of heading to Fieldbrook instead of someplace closer to home.

The margins for the grocery side of the business are tight, too. Springer says the electric bill has jumped along with delivery costs. Maintaining stocked shelves without overstocking and risking having to throw away perishables is a tricky balance, and she says a small store like hers sometimes doesn't meet minimum purchase requirements to avoid surcharges. "We're not making money on groceries," she says frankly, but their availability is important to the community.

"Clark and I know how much the market means to our community and we're going to try to make it work," Springer says. "We just have to take a moment." In the meantime, with the market closed, she hopes to keep some income with ramen delivery.

Springer is working on the logistics of taking orders and arranging pick-ups, possibly at Wrangletown Cider in Arcata. She's got a heated transport box and containers to keep the noodles separate from the soup in transit, but it's tricky. "It may or may not work,"she says, adding she hopes those who've enjoyed noodles at the market will follow its Instagram for updates.

Fieldbrook Market will also be re-open briefly at 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, for the arrival of Santa Claus at 4 p.m. with the Fieldbrook Fire Department and music from the Lost Dogs at 6 p.m. Springer says the market will be serving hot chocolate and cookies for the children, and she'll be selling ramen with mushroom and miso broth. It's not, however, a last hurrah.

The closure, Springer reiterates, is a strategic pause, not a farewell. "I won't let that happen," she says. "Whatever shape that takes, I really am intent on not closing the market forever."

Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her) is the arts and features editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, extension 320, or [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @JFumikoCahill and on Mastodon @jenniferfumikocahill.