Aug. 6—Leah and Rachael Chacon, identical twin sisters born and raised in Santa Fe, stood in aprons amid the noon rush at the center of Kaune's Neighborhood Market.

"We're pretty excited about this new adventure in our lives," Rachael Chacon said.

It's a fresh chapter, too, for the popular, historic grocery store on the city's east side. Longtime owner Cheryl Sommer recently announced the specialty market, just across Old Santa Fe Trail from the state Capitol, has been sold to the 31-year-old sisters, who have worked at the store since 2022.

"I think that with businesses like this, it's always important after a period of time for there to be new energy and new ideas," said Sommer, who had owned the business since 2003.

Established in 1896, the market has played a substantial role in the city's past and present, and is a popular stop for east-side residents. Today, the store is known for its curated product line, diverse meat market and a busy salad bar.

Rachael Chacon said there are no immediate plans to change anything about the business.

"We know it's very popular the way it is," Chacon said. "We're going to assess how things are working out and then we might make changes, but it wouldn't be too drastic if we did."

Henry Kaune, a German immigrant, opened the original H.S. Kaune Grocery Co. in 1896, then on East San Francisco Street. The current site was built in 1951, Sommer said.

In her 21 years at the helm, she steered the store through the coronavirus pandemic and oversaw a major remodeling the grocery underwent in 2013. The store has about 25 full- and part-time employees, similar to when Sommer took over, she said.

Positioned near residential neighborhoods in downtown Santa Fe, Kaune's maintains a loyal customer base — and it's the sort of place where employees know customers by name.

In a social media post from Kaune's Neighborhood Market addressed to the community, Sommer thanked the business' customers for their support during her long tenure and expressed excitement about how, under Leah and Rachael Chacon, Kaune's will continue to be led by women who were born and raised in Santa Fe.

"I was fortunate enough to identify Leah and Rachael as purchasers — or for us to get together to make a transaction work," Sommer said. "They are thoughtful, they care about the business, they've worked here two years now, and I think they will be wonderful to take it forward to whatever is in store for Kaune's in the future."