Mesa residents will soon lose one of the city’s long-standing grocery stores. Fry’s Food Stores, a division of The Kroger Co., has announced that its store at 1915 S. Power Road (Power and Baseline) will close its doors for good on November 22, 2025.
The closure comes as part of a broader national strategy by Kroger to streamline operations. In June 2025, the grocery giant announced plans to close approximately 60 stores nationwide over an 18-month period to improve efficiency and profitability (source: AZCentral).
Newer Store Just Two Miles South
While Mesa loses a grocery store, a new Fry’s Marketplace has already opened just two miles south at Power and Elliot Road—but that store sits across the city line in Gilbert. The new Marketplace format offers an expanded selection, larger footprint, and updated amenities typical of Kroger’s modernization push.
However, some Mesa residents are disappointed by the move—not because of distance, but because of tax differences between the two cities.
Mesa vs. Gilbert: The Grocery Tax Gap
The City of Mesa does not impose a local tax on most grocery food items intended for home consumption. By contrast, the Town of Gilbert levies a 2% transaction privilege tax (TPT) on those same items (source: Town of Gilbert, AZ Department of Revenue).
That means a $100 grocery bill in Gilbert would include roughly $2 in additional tax compared to the same grocery purchase in Mesa. While that difference may seem minor on a single trip, regular shoppers say it adds up over time.
Alternatives Remain Nearby
The closure will not leave the Power Road corridor without grocery options. In addition to the new Marketplace at Power and Elliot, other nearby Fry’s locations include:
- Signal Butte and Guadalupe Roads,
- Baseline and Higley Roads.
Other grocery competitors in the area include Safeway, WinCo, Walmart Neighborhood Market, and Sprouts Farmers Market.
Aging Store, Changing Landscape
The Power and Baseline Fry’s opened decades ago and has long been a neighborhood staple. The store’s closure reflects the broader retail trend of consolidating older, smaller-format grocery stores into newer, larger Marketplace centers that combine groceries, apparel, home goods, and expanded pharmacy services.
While Fry’s has not yet commented on the future of the Mesa property, many locals hope the space will be redeveloped rather than sit vacant.
What It Means for Mesa
The closure means fewer grocery options within Mesa city limits along Power Road—and a potential loss of local jobs and sales tax revenue on non-food items. For shoppers, it means adjusting habits and possibly paying more in taxes for everyday necessities.
Still, with newer facilities just a short drive away, most Fry’s customers are expected to transition to the nearby Gilbert Marketplace or one of the other East Mesa locations.
