Laytonville’s only full-service grocery store has not been open for more than two weeks

LAYTONVILLE, 12/18/23 — Geiger’s Long Valley Market, located at 44951 U.S. Highway 101 in Laytonville, appears to have abruptly closed its doors without any public notice. Calls to the store’s listed phone number during business hours went unanswered on Friday, Dec. 8, Monday, Dec. 11, Thursday, Dec. 14 and Monday, Dec. 18. Reporters who visited Geiger’s during business hours found the front door locked and the store apparently closed — possibly on a permanent basis.

According to Geiger’s voicemail recording and Google Maps listing, however, they’re still supposedly open seven days a week until 8 p.m. CEO Michael Maciel did not respond directly to multiple emails requesting confirmation of the store’s closure or the date on which his store was last open to the public. He did, however, tell The Mendocino Voice’s attorney that he would not comment on the matter in an email concerning previous reporting.

Maciel’s management of Laytonville’s only full-service grocery store has been marked by controversy due to residents’ reported increase in difficulty accessing food. The small town’s reliance on foodbank nutrition nearly doubled after Maciel took over.