By Parker Solomon
Staff Writer
A new Trader Joe’s will be replacing the current Ralphs grocery store located in the Park Pacific Shopping Center in Hermosa Beach on October 16.
The plans for the new Trader Joe’s were proposed about two months ago according to Ralphs landlord Roger Bacon. Bacon decided to buy out Ralphs lease agreement so he could put Trader Joe’s onto his property.
For the past three weeks Ralphs has halted almost all of their orderings. Once Ralphs closes, the employees will continue to work for Ralphs but at different store locations.
“All of us employees are grateful that Ralphs has decided to keep us on staff, and is allowing us to maintain a job close to where we live,” Ralphs store manager Donald Brake said. “In less than a month, Ralphs will be closed and it’s almost surreal to see how empty the shelves are.”
According to Bacon, the new Trader Joe’s will be one of the largest in the SoCal area. The Trader Joe’s will be twenty thousand square feet and will have around two hundred parking spaces and 10 registers in the store.
“I believe Trader Joe’s is an amazing organization and I am so excited to do business with them,” Bacon said. “I have been trying to get a Trader Joe’s onto my property for the past twenty years and I believe it will make make a great addition to the Hermosa Beach area.”
There are no set dates for the construction of Trader Joe’s but according to Brake, construction will most likely begin in November. Ralphs is planning to clean out the property which is why the new construction will be delayed until the next month.
“The construction plans for Trader Joe’s are still in their first stages and there are many details that are yet to be determined,” Bacon said. “I am currently still talking with Trader Joe’s about construction dates, business plans, and the lease agreement which is why few details are official.”
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