Shoppers in Pinole are facing a dwindling number of local grocery options as another Bay Area Safeway announces its upcoming closure. The Safeway at the Appian 80 shopping center is set to cease operations on April 4, as first reported by the Richmond Standard and confirmed by city officials of Pinole. A critical fixture in the community for over 50 years, the store's shuttering follows the closure of the Safeway in San Francisco's Fillmore District under different circumstances related to safety and theft.
As KTVU reports, the Pinole Safeway closure comes with assurances from the company that employees will be transferred to nearby locations, mitigating job losses, while the City of Pinole expressed a mixture of disappointment and hope, the latter tied to the prospect of a new grocery store taking over the space to cater to the needs of residents. However, the specifics of such an opportunity have yet to surface.
Discussing the closure, a Safeway spokesperson explained the decision to SFGATE, noting that this "decision was not made lightly. We have been proud to serve the City of Pinole over the years." This suggests a change in direction for the grocery chain but does not provide explicit reasons for declining the lease renewal.
With the Appian 80 property not currently on sale and the current property owner allegedly committed to planning for a new grocery store at the location, the city appears to be in a state of waiting, eager to collaborate with the property owner to explore new avenues that could strengthen the economic business corridor and satisfy community needs, but it remains to be seen what the future will hold for this space. Residents are left to utilize alternative grocery sources, such as the Grocery Outlet and Lucky on Fitzgerald Drive, and Another Safeway located approximately two and a half miles away in Hercules.
