The Lancaster Roth’s Fresh Market, the second outlet launched by founder Orville Roth and the first Roth’s to open in Salem, is closing, employees told customers on Aug. 21. Signs in the store and clearance activity signaled the end of a neighborhood grocery that opened on April 15, 1965 and served the city for more than six decades.
End of a local landmark
Long known as a busy, crowd-drawing store — a newspaper account from the opening estimated about 5,000 people attended the store’s open house — Lancaster Rd. NE at Center Street became one of Salem’s early retail anchors. Over time, it evolved into one of Roth’s smaller neighborhood markets, with a reduced selection compared with newer, larger outlets in the chain.
"One of the first locations in a beloved local grocery store chain is closing in Salem."
What shoppers are seeing now
Customers reported 30% off frozen foods and a deli that is clearing stock and no longer preparing fresh sandwiches. Those in-store signs, employees said, followed management notice the day before. The store’s closure is the first local shutdown since the chain was acquired by Canadian-based Pattison Food Group in 2021.
Local and regional context
Roth’s began as a single store in 1962 in Silverton and grew to 13 locations, with an emphasis on fresh food and community support. The roster now includes eight other stores in the Mid-Willamette Valley, four of them in Salem. Customers and community leaders have noted changes in service and local engagement since the Pattison takeover, and the Lancaster closure arrives amid that ongoing local conversation about consolidation in grocery retail.
- Lancaster Roth’s: opened April 15, 1965 — closing announced Aug. 21, 2026
- Roth’s at acquisition: bought by Pattison Food Group in 2021
- Chain size historically: grew to 13 stores; eight remain in the Mid-Willamette Valley
What remains uncertain
It is not yet known how many employees will be affected or whether transfers to other Roth’s locations will be offered. News outlets contacted the local Roth’s corporate office by phone and email; the company has not provided a public timeline for the store’s final day or detailed staffing plans. Financial terms of the 2021 purchase were never publicly disclosed, and some reporting has noted confidentiality through non-disclosure agreements.
| Roth’s locations in the Mid-Willamette Valley | Salem stores |
|---|---|
| Monmouth, Silverton, Stayton, McMinnville | Hayesville (Portland Rd NE), Sunnyslope (Liberty Rd S), Vista (Commercial St SE), West Salem (Wallace Rd NW) |
The Lancaster store’s closure will be felt at the street level: customers who relied on its deli and nearby groceries will need to shift routines, and neighbors will watch whether other community-focused elements of the brand persist under new ownership. As local retail continues to consolidate, Salem residents will be watching for details on employee outcomes and whether Pattison’s stewardship will restore or further change the store experience that longtime shoppers remember.
