New Hillcrest/Mission Hills Vons Set to Open This Week
San Diego Celebrates Grand Opening with Wine Tasting to Benefit Mama’s Kitchen
After 11 months of construction, the new Hillcrest/Mission Hills Vons at 515 West Washington Street is set to open for business next Thursday afternoon, March 29, following a 3 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony.
Safeway, the parent company of Vons, has owned and operated a 12,000 square foot store at this location since 1960, but the store’s size and layout prohibited them from carrying more products and expanding services.
“This new Vons has been an exciting opportunity to work in cooperation with our Mission Hills and Hillcrest neighbors to build the state-of-the-art store that will serve their community for many years,” said Lori Raya, president of Safeway’s Vons Division. “The new facility, which is nearly 58,000 square feet, will meet every customer need and convenience.”
The store includes larger, full-service floral, deli, bakery, meat and seafood departments, as well as the “Farmer’s Market,” an expanded produce section with organic selections. Expanded beer, wine and liquor areas have also been added.
The location features a Starbucks with interior seating and WiFi, as well as a pharmacy with an enclosed waiting area. Customers will also enjoy expanded check-stand areas, self-checkout stations, a new outside seating area, as well as garage parking with multiple access points, elevators, escalators and cart movers.
In terms of jobs – the store will have a team of around 120 employees, including 70 new hires.
“We are excited to have several returning employees who worked at the store prior to closure,” said Raya. “Seeing those familiar faces again will spark fun reunions with our long-time customers.”
To celebrate its grand opening, Vons is hosting a wine tasting on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to benefit Mama’s Kitchen, a non-profit charitable organization that prepares and delivers meals to men, women and children affected by AIDS or cancer. The reception will feature a variety of high-end wines, hors d’oeuvres, artisan cheeses, a dessert bar, and live jazz entertainment by the K8 Stewart Experience.
The wine tasting is open to the community for those 21 and over. Tickets will be sold at the door for a minimum $25 donation.
“An evening of fun, food and wine is a great way welcome Vons back to the neighborhood,” said Alberto Cortés, executive director of Mama’s Kitchen. “Thanks to Vons, 100 percent of the proceeds from the event will go to preparing and delivering food to men, women and children who are affected by AIDS or cancer.
Donations in the form of cash, check or credit card will be accepted at the door. Tickets can also be purchased in advance at http://www.mamaskitchen.org/events or at Mission Hills Community Resource Center-Ascent Real Estate (902 Fort Stockton Dr., San Diego 92103).
Vons, a Safeway Company www.Vons.com
Vons is a division of Safeway, Inc., a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. Safeway operates 1,678 stores in the United States and western Canada, 277 of which are in southern California and southern Nevada that operate under the Vons and Pavilions banners. Vons supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and in 2011 alone donated more than $5.2 million to K-12 schools across southern California, including $1.5 million to Los Angeles County schools.
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Category: Local News
