Boot Barn officially opens in Madera
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Boot Barn store manager, Westin Conriguez, is joined by family, friends, community leaders and dignitaries for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening Friday for the new store on Cleveland Ave.
After opening its doors a couple of weeks ago, Boot Barn officially opened its eighth Central Valley location on Friday.
Located inside the former Office Depot building, Boot Barn has made a home in Madera and is looking to a bright future.
“We chose this space because we wanted to grow with the community of Madera and we have the room to do so,” said store manager Westin Conriquez.
Conriquez and his family joined with the Madera Chamber of Commerce to host a ribbon cutting to celebrate Boot Barn’s Grand Opening weekend on Friday.
“We’ve been incredibly steady every day. Folks are excited for us to be here and we’re just as excited to be here,” he said.
Since opening the store on March 16, Conriquez said it has been steady.
“The biggest feedback is they are thanking us for being here,” he said. “They haven’t had this variety of options in one building. Your weekend cowgirl, your working ranchhand, blue-collar worker or cowboy, we have something for everybody.”
Conriquez celebrated his second anniversary with Boot Barn with Friday’s grand opening. He was formally an assistant manager in Clovis.
“The opportunity came up to manage this store so I put my name in the hat,” he said. “It was always an end goal for this company that I really enjoy working for. The best-case scenario is to open a brand-new store. I didn’t think it was in the cards.
“It’s been a dream to open a new store. I’ve been a store manager for about 10 years through various companies. I’m just happy I get to open a new store with Boot Barn.”
Mayor Santos Garcia credited City Manager Arnoldo Rodriguez, who credited Madera County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Bobby Kahn for pushing the paperwork to bring Boot Barn to Madera.
“It’s wonderful to open a Boot Barn. The community of Madera needed a Boot Barn,” Conriquez said. “I’m just saying it because that’s what people coming through the door have told me. It’s a big agriculture community, laborer, blue collar and have every type of lifestyle in the Valley, especially in Madera.”
With one of the biggest sales floors in the Central Valley, Madera’s Boot Barn has plenty of room to grow and Conriquez was happy to have a say in the interior design.
“It was incredible to say what went where,” he said. “My Boot Barn team and support has been incredible. To be able to set the store from scratch was super challenging, but some of the most fun I’ve ever had.”
