Rumors swirled by Central Marin over the previous week about the way forward for one of many space’s solely price range grocery shops.
Sadly, the rumors are true.
The Fortunate grocery store in downtown Larkspur will shut on April 14 at 6 p.m., in keeping with Save Mart, who owns the grocery store.
“Fortunate has been serving the group for many years and we’ll stay dedicated to serving the group at our full-service Novato Fortunate retailer,” the corporate stated in a press release to The Customary. The corporate added it might provide its retailer associates jobs at different areas.
“Fortunate has one of the best cashier group ever,” stated Aubrey Wade of Corte Madera, who has shopped at Fortunate for greater than 20 years and echoed most of the dozens of commenters on social media web site Nextdoor in regards to the retailer’s pending closure. “They’re the least overpriced retailer for groceries in Marin—they even had rest room paper in the course of the pandemic!”
Although the realm’s properties have turn out to be costlier in recent times, the Central Marin cities of Larkspur and Corte Madera boomed after WWII as bed room communities for working-class households. Right now, one-fourth of the realm’s residents are senior residents, a lot of whom have shopped on the market because it opened in 1982.
Although Save Mart was acquired by a personal fairness firm final yr, the corporate didn’t touch upon why it was leaving the area. Some employees stated the shop was not renewing its lease. Fortunate closed its pharmacy subsequent door final yr.
Whereas some residents on Nextdoor cheered the demise of the downmarket retailer within the decades-old constructing and hoped for a Entire Meals-type specialty grocer to interchange it, others anxious about dropping a neighborhood outlet to purchase primary groceries at price range costs.
“The Metropolis of Larkspur doesn’t have the authority to trigger a selected retailer to take over the positioning,” stated Mayor Gabe Paulson, however added that the town plan prefers some sort of grocery retailer to be current.
The market stands on a busy Larkspur nook that has been the goal of redevelopment for years, however the metropolis says it doesn’t know of any plans to that impact.
The Vons grocery store firm owns the grocery retailer constructing and among the parking zone, one other social gathering owns the remainder of the parking and the adjoining strip mall, whereas a 3rd social gathering owns the gasoline station on the nook.
“Any redevelopment will most likely require cooperation between the totally different possession teams,” added Mayor Paulson.
Maryann Jones Thompson may be reached at [email protected]