The aisles in the new Safeway store in the Crocker Village shopping center are named after a number of Curtis Park streets, including Donner Way, Marshall Way, Portola Way and even Moo Alley, where shoppers can find ice cream.
“Adding the street names to these signs was a nice personal touch to connect Curtis Park to Safeway,” observed SCNA board secretary Kate Van Buren at the store’s March 5 opening ceremony. “I also like the wide aisle spaces.”
The store’s grand opening included a band and ribbon-cutting by Safeway management and employees, and Crocker Village developer Paul Petrovich.
An estimated 100 to 150 people attended the opening event in addition to the many Safeway employees, may of whom came from other stores to use their experience setting up the new store.
Safeway spokeswoman Wendy Gutshall said the store is approximately 55,000 square feet in size. “Like our other newer stores, this one has a lot of pre-cooked take-out items convenient for working families to grab and go,” she said.
The many skylights throughout the store caught the attention of SCNA President Andi Liebenbaum. “I hope the store does well and neighbors get good use out of it,” she said.
The fruits and vegetables in the produce section were artistically displayed. Bell peppers were arranged in rows by their color – green, yellow, red and orange. Cauliflowers were lined up with purple, yellow, green and white. SCNA board member Laurie Harder remarked, “I like how the produce is beautifully arranged. It is very colorful. I wonder how long it can stay like this.”
About 30 retail businesses are planned in the shopping area. Opening the first week of April is Pet Supplies Plus. It is moving to this larger location from Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard, another Petrovich development.
Several businesses are health-related, including City Sports, a gym membership club, with an indoor swimming pool coming soon. Next to the gym will be The Joint, a chiropractic office. Other businesses will include Banfield Vet Hospital, Pacific Dental and Great Clips hair stylist business, which will relocate from Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard.
Also expected to open soon are Pete’s Coffee, Panda Express, Hawaiian Ono (Hawaiian style barbecue), Firehouse Subs, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Nekter Juice Bar, and Happy Lemon (serving Asian tea).
Brad Street, Safeway’s Northern California president, presented checks for $2,500 each to the Sacramento Children’s Home and the Sacramento Food Bank at the grand opening. The Sacramento Children’s Home, across Sutterville Road from Curtis Park, has been in existence for 152 years and helps more than 7,000 children per year. The Food Bank, headquartered in Oak Park, assists about 230,000 people with food annually and provides a variety of family assistance services.