LONGMEADOW - Just 30 hours after a fire destroyed Armata’s Market at the Maple Center Shopping Center in Longmeadow, the business was handing out pre-ordered turkeys and pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinners to customers.

Most of the food the customers had ordered for the holiday was off-site when the blaze ripped through the plaza that was home to the market, as well as The Bottle Shop, Longmeadow Salon, Iron Chef Asian Cuisine, Dream Nail & Spa and The Cashmere Sale.

“Six businesses were impacted with approximately 74 combined employees,” Town Manager Lyn Simmons said in a statement. “The Town of Longmeadow is assisting the property and business owners.”

One way that the Town of Longmeadow helped Armata’s was to set up a makeshift pick-up station at the Greenwood Center for people to collect the holiday meals they had ordered from the market. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., employees from Armata’s took the names of customers as they pulled up to the two trailer trucks in which orders were stored.

The business let as many customers as possible know about the pick-up.
“We called whoever we had contact information for,” Armata’s Market owner Alexis Vallides said. “Online orders were a big help. People who called the store and it transferred to my phone, we told them.” Armata’s got the word out to about 100 customers, half of the orders they had received. She said that about half of the market’s business this time of year is Thanksgiving dinners, fresh turkeys, pies and cakes. The holidays are Armata’s busiest time.

One of the people in line for their order lives near the market and brought coffee and donuts for the business owners and employees.

“I’ve been shopping there 31 years and I love them,” she told Reminder Publishing.

The town has been “great” in the wake of the fire, Vallides said. The Longmeadow Fire Department (LFD) set up the location outside Greenwood Center and the police helped keep the process orderly. A member of the LFD, who did not wish to be named, told Vallides, “We’re here to keep you safe and going.”

Longmeadow Fire Chief John Dearborn reported that while the flames that destroyed the left side of the plaza had stopped before Longmeadow Salon, all the shops were subject to smoke and water damage. In addition to Longmeadow’s Fire Department, the towns of Agawam and East Longmeadow, and the North Thompsonville and Shaker Pines Fire Departments assisted in putting out the fire. The State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Salvation Army responded to the scene.

“The Governor and Lt. Governor were briefed by MEMA and have expressed their full support to help the businesses and employees who have been impacted,” said Simmons.

Armata’s Market posted on their Facebook page, “We would like to extend our thanks to all of the first responders from the surrounding communities who have responded to this devastating fire. Also, to our friends and customers who have reached out and sent their well wishes they are much appreciated.” Dozens of people responded and expressed their sympathy, appreciation of the business’s dedication and hopes that the market will be rebuilt.

To that end, people in the community have begun three gofundme.com campaigns to help Armata’s Market rebuild. Combined, they have raised nearly $2,400. Bill Collins, the owner of Center Square Grill in East Longmeadow, donated $1,000 to kick off a campaign on the platform with a goal of raising $75,000 to help the owners and employees who are out of work because of the fire. As of press time, $39,453 had been raised.

“We will come back, new and improved,” Vallides said. “This is a great community, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”