We have a winner.
After weeks of speculation about which chain would secure the old Albertsons location and even a campaign for local grocers PCC and Metropolitan Market, the space will go to newcomer New Seasons Market.
Contributed photo | Portland-based New Seasons Market
The Portland-based grocer, which has recently expanded into California and has a store in Vancouver, WA, is planning a remodel and aims to open fall of 2016.
President and CEO Wendy Collie, once an island resident herself, shared in a press release her optimism that New Seasons would be a good fit for Mercer Island.
“I believe our values and sense of community very much align with those of the Mercer Island residents and that’s why we chose to open our very first Seattle store here,” said President and CEO Wendy Collie, who spent nearly two decades in the Puget Sound area, including a year on Mercer Island, as an executive at Starbucks while raising two boys.
Contributed photo: New Seasons Market President and CEO Wendy Collie
“We look forward to making our Mercer Island store a welcoming, neighborhood gathering spot where people connect over delicious, quality food, get to know our wonderful staff and build community together,” she said.
New Seasons Market, which brands itself as “the friendliest store in town,” will offer organic and natural products alongside conventional brands. The company has a local, sustainable, community-oriented focus as a Certified B Corporation and plans to hire locally to fill the majority of the store’s approximately 150 positions.
Contributed photo | Chef-prepared deli selection
Islander Sharon Perez, chair of Mercer Island Food Revolution and co-founder of Table365.com, occasionally shopped at New Seasons Market when she lived in Portland. She believes that islanders will welcome new diversity for local grocery shopping.
“Families have been eagerly asking for expanded healthy food options on the island. I’m hopeful that New Seasons will make it easier to feed our families healthy, delicious, local foods, with raw ingredients and prepared foods,” she said. “In Portland, they had really good delis and bakeries. I hope they’ll have that here.”
She also expects New Seasons will focused on community involvement with local non-profit organizations and schools.
“My experience is that New Seasons focuses on being a positive place and being a neighborhood market,” she said. “The stores were different in different neighborhoods. It will be interesting to see how that will translate to the island.”
New Seasons Market will be located at 2755 77th Ave SE. Visit the New Seasons Market website at http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/our-stores/mercer-island.
