Hermosa Beach Trader Joe’s opening Oct. 12
Roger and Steve Bacon, owners of the Park Pacific Shopping Center, stand in front of the soon-to-open Trader Joe’s. Photo
Trader Joe’s will open its much-anticipated Hermosa Beach location on Oct. 12. The store, located in the Park Pacific Shopping Center near the intersection of Aviation Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, will fill a portion of the site once occupied by Ralphs.
Trader Joe’s signed a lease on the property in December, and construction began in June. A rectangle at the southern end of the parcel will be occupied by an as-yet unknown tenant. Roger Bacon, longtime owner of the Park Pacific property, said that he is in discussion with at least two other possible tenants, and expects to ink a deal soon. In a previous interview, Bacon said that he had been considering a pharmacy, a shoe store and a pet store.
Bacon and son Steve inside the yet-to-be-leased space bordering Trader Joe’s. Photo
Hiring for all positions at the new location got underway last week, and will continue daily, except Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 17. Those seeking employment can download an application off of the company’s website, and turn it in at the store.
The opening marks a kind of transition for food-shopping options in the area. After the closure of Ralphs, Vons was the only large supermarket left in Hermosa, prompting occasional complaints at city council meetings about lengthy lines during popular days like Super Bowl Sunday. Additionally, grocery chain Haggen closed all of its California stores last Thanksgiving.
The traditional stores are giving way to specialty grocers opening outlets in the area. The Hermosa location will be the eighth Trader Joe’s in the South Bay. Gelson’s has previously announced plans for a store at 8th Street and Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, and Lazy Acres, a natural foods store owned by Bristol Farms, has tentatively agreed to fill the space once occupied by Albertsons at Artesia Boulevard and PCH.