SUBLETTE COUNTY – There’s a big change in the works at the Ridley’s Grocery Store in Pinedale but it won’t be a drive-through Arctic Circle restaurant. Instead the Ridley family is expanding the Outfitter Liquor Store.

And the family’s Oct. 13 purchases of two CL Bar ranch parcels adjacent to South Fremont and Highway 191 doesn’t include building a new store at this time, according to Mark Ridley.

Outfitter expansion

The Ridleys, based in Jerome, Idaho, previously explored building an Arctic Circle drive-through at the south end of the grocery store by the Outfitter Liquor Store.

For the past several months, the Outfitter was condensed into a much smaller space. Last week, construction and remodeling inside the closed-off space between Ace Hardware and the Outfitter became obvious.

“We have decided not to add a restaurant to our store in Pinedale because we did not feel we had enough space to make it successful,” Ridley said in an email. “Instead we are currently expanding our Outfitter Liquor store. This should be complete and open to customers within the next several weeks and we are excited to have the largest beer wine and liquor selection in the area when we are done.”

Land purchase

The Ridleys, doing business as CJM Limited Partnership, purchase one 59-acre parcel and the 15.98-acre piece beside it from the Haub family’s corporation, CL Bar Properties Inc., according to public records. The ranch properties are mainly used for livestock grazing.

The Ridleys have no firm development plans for the ranch land at this time, he said.

“There are no plans to relocate the Ridley’s grocery store to this land,” Ridley said Wednesday. “The land is currently being used for agricultural purposes and is mostly zoned for future residential development and we don’t have plans to change that.

“Our family has been a long-term member of the community of Pinedale and we have a clear interest in the community’s future and hope this land can eventually be a positive part of its growth and success.”