How two Modesto flea markets are contending with the coronavirus pandemic

Lary Gremp knows all about quickly closing a business due to circumstances beyond his control.

In 2003, the owner of the 7th Street Flea Market in Modesto was forced by the federal government to shut down his poultry auction because of the exotic Newcastle disease outbreak.

“Fortunately, we learned from that circumstance and we are a little more comfortable shutting down now,” Gremp said.

He, along with Pedro Marquez, owner of El Rematito on Crows Landing Road, made the difficult decision last month to close their businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the owners of the two popular south Modesto shopping locations did what they could to soften the blow for hundreds of their faithful vendors.

“We know that they provide for their families and that this stoppage would be a great burden to them,” said Gremp, who has over 300 vendors. “What we did right before we stopped was make sure we lowered that price from $57 a week to $15 a week and they really appreciated it.”

7th Street Flea Market ‘hit hard’

For Ramon Rodriguez and his family, small engine mechanics at the 7th Street Flea Market, the shutdown “hit them hard,” he said. However, it did not completely stop them from continuing their services. His grandfather, who has been a vendor there for over 20 years, still offers his services from home.

“I think it is a reasonable thing that they (closed) ... We offer our services from home, but that is hard, too,” Rodriguez said.

With the COVID-19 restrictions, the Rodriguez family is taking only a few customers each week and offers limited hours for its services.

Other vendors also have been offering services from home, he said, one being a friend’s parents, whose only source of income was working at the flea market. They are now delivering tamales to maintain an income until the flea market reopens.

Despite the changes Rodriquez and his family are experiencing, he expressed their gratitude toward Gremp. “It definitely hit us hard, but what really helped was the owner helped by lowering the rent for us,” Rodriguez said.

Both of the flea markets offer a variety of food, affordable clothes, cosmetics and the personal item repair services that attract a diverse crowd, with approximately 10,000 shoppers each weekend.

Gonzalo Bustamante lives in Modesto and grew up going to both flea markets with his family. Not only was he an avid shopper in the produce section, he is friends with vendors and said it is unfortunate they had to close.

“I used to live close to the Crows Landing one and would walk there with my family on Sunday mornings,” Bustamante said. “Every time we would go there, we would come back with oranges, watermelons and just bulks of produce.”

Now, he and his family are shopping at Cost Less, where they find affordable produce until the flea markets open again, he said.

Crows Landing Flea Market

Since it opened in 1989, the El Rematito Crows Landing Flea Market has never experienced such drastic changes. For someone who started as a vendor himself, Marquez understands the flea market is a primary source of income for many.

“We decided to close to stop the virus from spreading, and for many of the vendors, that is their only source of income,” Marquez said in Spanish. “We have over 500 vendors. We are only charging the vendors a minimum for storage.”

Two weeks prior to closing, El Rematito vendors were already taking safety precautions. Management changed some of the policies and made sure vendors followed social-distancing orders. The produce was being prepackaged, face masks were worn, and food vendors put tables and chairs away, accepting only takeout orders.

After deciding to shut down for the safety of the community, Citlalic Marquez, treasurer of El Rematito and the owner’s daughter, said essential vendors were given the choice to reopen if needed. As a result, El Rematito will reopen for essentials only, such a produce, on May 1.

“Everyone is having a hard time and we are unsure if they were going to get the government help, so we decided we would open and have everyone separate from each other and have everyone wear masks with extra precautions,” Marquez said.

Similarly, both owners understand the burden this pandemic has been for their vendors.

Said Gremp, who plans to reopen when it is deemed safer for the community, “This is an important place not because we own it (but) because so many people depend on it.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 4:16 AM.