EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 For generations of El Pasoans, the Bronco Swap Meet has been a weekend tradition.<\/p>\n
As part of 915 Day, ARC El Paso stopped by the iconic swap meet for a walk-and-talk tour with owner and operator Eddie Sandoval, who says the business has been part of his family for decades.<\/p>\n
The Bronco Swap Meet opened its doors in 1985, started by Sandoval’s parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started in 1985. So we’ve been here a while. Took many years to build it to what it is now.” Sandoval said. “My parents started it and we’re just keeping it going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, the swap meet is home to more than 300 vendors, along with plenty of food and just about anything shoppers might be looking for. For Sandoval, the swap meet is also a family affair. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy kids grew up here and all the grandkids are here. My grandkids are running an ice cream shop here.\u201d Sandoval said.<\/p>\n
That generational connection is part of what makes the Bronco Swap Meet unique to El Paso. But the business isn’t just a place for families to shop. Sandoval says it has also helped local entrepreneurs get their start.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the easiest way to start a business. You just go and pay your $25, and you start from there.\u201d Sandoval said.<\/p>\n
The idea is simple: someone with a business idea can try it out at the swap meet before making a larger investment.<\/p>\n
If you’ve got an idea, you want to see if it’s going to work out, might as well just test it out here,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cWe’ve got Juanita’s here. Several food places have gone to own different restaurants.<\/p>\n
But like many businesses in El Paso, the Bronco Swap Meet faced one of its biggest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandoval says the shutdown had a lasting impact on the business and its vendors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat hit us pretty hard. A lot of our vendors here passed away.\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cIt becomes like a family here. People have been here for years and then you run into them, you say hello, and then the next day they’re not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandoval says the swap meet was ultimately closed for three years, creating another challenge for a business that had been a fixture in El Paso for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we were closed for three years. COVID came and shut us down and then we had some problems.\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cA lot of work. It took a lot of work, but, you know, gotta do what you gotta do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Sandoval says the swap meet is continuing to rebuild with the support of longtime customers and vendors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re hoping to get there. It’s getting there. It’s getting.\u201d Sandoval said.<\/p>\n
And there’s more in store for the future. Sandoval says the swap meet is working on plans to turn a section of the property into a new destination for visitors, soon dedicating an area to a food court or entertainment center.<\/p>\n
The project is part of the swap meet’s effort to continue growing while maintaining the community atmosphere that has defined it for decades.<\/p>\n
And as El Paso celebrates 915 Day, Sandoval says the Bronco Swap Meet isn’t going anywhere.<\/p>\n
The Bronco Swap Meet is open every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
With more than 40 years of history, hundreds of vendors and multiple generations of El Paso families passing through its doors, the Bronco Swap Meet remains one of the many places that help make the 915 feel like home.<\/p>\n
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