Suddenly, ‘bodegas’ began opening in Boise. Now one has closed.

Boise looked to be on the verge of a trend when three businesses describing themselves as “bodegas” opened within a span of about six months.

But now our city is down to two.

The Benchmark Bodega, which opened in October 2018 at 3302 W. Overland Road, recently closed. A sign in front of the building indicates that the space is for lease. No other information was available.

The Benchmark Bodega was not a traditional bodega. Not in the New York City sense. Not in a convenience store, all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips sense. Instead, The Benchmark Bodega was a locally focused specialty shop selling coffee, tea, beer, wine, spices and gifts.

With the demise of The Benchmark, Boise’s two remaining bodegas are limited to Downtown. J.D.’s Bodega is open at 161 N. Capitol Blvd. and Bodega Boise operates at 1007 W. Main St.

This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 4:40 PM.