Good Earth Natural Foods is planting its flag in Terra Linda, with plans for a 21,300-square-foot market that will anchor the Northgate Mall overhaul in San Rafael. The organic grocer is taking over the longtime Rite Aid building and is eyeing a spring 2027 opening, promising a café, full-service meat and seafood, a hefty organic produce spread and more than 200 local jobs.
Store details and timeline
The new Good Earth will move into the freestanding building at 1500 Northgate and serve as a cornerstone of the mall’s redevelopment, with doors expected to open in spring 2027. “We are thrilled to announce the opening of a 3rd Good Earth location in Marin County,” co-owner and managing partner Stephen Mitchell said in a press release, according to PR Newswire. The company is pitching the expansion as a careful, step-by-step move to broaden access to organic food across Marin.
A local chain with deep roots
Good Earth started in Fairfax in 1969 and has spent more than half a century building a loyal following in Marin. The grocer now runs two locations, the original Fairfax store and a Tam Junction market in Mill Valley. Its mission leans hard on strict organic sourcing and scratch-made prepared foods, a focus the company credits with carrying it through over five decades of serving the county, per Good Earth Natural Foods.
What the Terra Linda store will offer
The Terra Linda outpost, at roughly 21,300 square feet, is set to deliver the full Good Earth treatment. Plans call for a 100 percent certified organic produce department, a scratch-made organic prepared foods section and a café pouring organic juices, smoothies and made-to-order coffee. Shoppers can also expect a full-service meat and seafood counter plus indoor and outdoor community dining areas, according to the company’s announcement via PR Newswire.
Jobs and the Northgate makeover
Good Earth estimates the new store will bring more than 200 jobs to North Marin, a notable hiring boost for Terra Linda as Northgate Mall transitions to an open-air, mixed-use center approved by the city in December 2024. The high-visibility spot near Highway 101 is expected to pull in customers from Novato and parts of Sonoma County, according to SFGATE.
Next steps for neighbors
From here, the project heads into permitting and tenant improvements, with specifics to be nailed down as construction and site work get underway. “It’s so convenient, it’s right off the 101,” Jessica Hurtado-Hansel, Good Earth’s marketing and communications director, told SFGATE, adding that the Terra Linda site should make the grocer’s offerings easier to reach for shoppers across the North Bay.
