By George Gore Browne, Special to the Independent
A line of around 200 eager customers stretched down into the underground parking structure, waiting patiently for the Laguna Beach Gelson’s to open for business this past Thursday, April 27.
Before the official ribbon was cut, City Council members, Chamber of Commerce representatives and Rob McDougall, Gelson’s president and chief executive, all expressed their enthusiasm for a fresh beginning at a store location buffeted by turnover in recent years.
Customers rushed into a store with an impressive and colorful layout, transformed over the last month since a job fair was held there a month ago. Stand out features include the deli and sushi and salad bars.
“We look forward to providing Laguna Beach the exceptional customer service and premium-quality merchandise that have become the hallmark of Gelson’s,” said McDougall. The store is around 32,000 square feet, about typical in size for a Gelson’s store, he said.
Shopper Lory Tebutt, who shifted her loyalty to Albertson’s in Laguna Niguel since Haggen closed in South Laguna last August, liked what she saw. “It’s wonderful. Easy to get to. Well presented and a very good experience,” she said. “This will be my store now.”
Though Haggen struggled to win over customers due to more expensive prices than the chains it replaced, Tebutt thinks shoppers will tolerate Gelson’s generally higher pricing because its merchandise is higher quality.
The Gelson’s Laguna Beach store will emphasize fresh food, including grass-fed beef, organic and non-GMO items, says a company statement. McDougall said coastal stores are often tailored to a more health conscious market and include vegan, vegetarian and gluten free items. The full-service deli will offer signature creations by chef Peter Fiore along with salads dictated by Gelson’s registered dietitian.
The Laguna Beach location will include a carving station (during selected hours), a gourmet cheese section, olive cart, soup and salad bar, hot food bar, fresh sushi and poke bar, kosher foods and a bakery. Other store departments include a coffee bar, dining area, floral department and gift baskets, said Gelson’s spokesman Bron Heussenstamm.
The supermarket chain purchased eight Southern California locations from Haggen after the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Since January, Gelson’s re-opened six former Haggen stores with about 100 employees each, 75 percent former Haggen employees, said McDougall.
The rise and subsequent fall of the Haggen brand was bewilderingly rapid.
“They were just clueless from the very beginning. You couldn’t do worse than what they’re doing,” said David J. Livingston, of the grocery industry research firm DJL Research in Charlotte, N.C.
Re-opening the Laguna location was slowed down by extra construction work needed to fix the dilapidated building, including installing an entirely new refrigeration unit, explains McDougall.
Laguna Beach is Gelson’s 24th location. The company’s growth in recent years has been fueled by its 2014 acquisition by TPG, the industry trade publication Supermarket News says. The private investment company’s portfolio includes brands such as Burger King and J Crew. TPG acquired the Arden Group, which operates Gelson’s, for $394 million, the Los Angeles Business Journal reported.
Gelson’s will continue with expansion with a ground-up project set to be opened in Hollywood in early 2018, said Elliot Zwiebach, of Supermarket News.
George Gore Browne is journalism student and Indy intern
went to buy cherries at Gel sons.And was shocked that they were selling for 9.99 a pound.When everywhere its for 1.99.Will not go there again.