Hermosa Beach Trader Joe’s opens, bringing added grocery option to city
The crew at the Hermosa Beach Trader Joe’s takes a break from preparing the store for opening. Photo
Almost a year to the day after former tenant Ralphs closed its doors, specialty grocer Trader Joe’s opened its first Hermosa Beach location Thursday morning.
The store opened at 8 a.m., with live music, a reusable grocery bag giveaway and a ceremonial “lei cutting” ceremony. The Hermosa location will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and has about 11,600 square feet of sales floor space.
The store began hiring last month, and 85 percent of those hired live in the South Bay, said store captain Matt Frank. In addition to stocking shelves, those hired have put their artistic touch on the new location, decorating the store with various locally themed paintings that adorn the walls of the store.
“They did the shelf signs, the murals. And it’s all done by hand,” Frank said.
Trader Joe’s will serve as the anchor tenant of the Park Pacific Shopping Center at Pacific Coast Highway and Aviation Boulevard. A portion of the property once filled by Ralphs remains unoccupied, but Park Pacific owner Roger Bacon has said he is in talks with several possible tenants.
Since Ralphs closed in October of last year, nearby Vons has been the city’s only major grocery store, prompting occasional griping among city officials about long lines during busy shopping days. Trader Joe’s will eventually be joined by Lazy Acres, an upscale grocery destined for the a space on PCH and Artesia Boulevard. That lot, now used by Hope Chapel, previously housed Lucky and Albertsons supermarkets.