Sprouts Opens First Inglewood Store, Ending Decade-Long Grocery Drought

Hundreds of Inglewood residents lined Crenshaw Boulevard for a three-day celebration as Sprouts Farmers Market opened its first store in the city, filling a building that had not housed a major supermarket since a Safeway closed there in the 1970s. The grand opening ran from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on its first day, August 21, and continued through the weekend with festivities that drew Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and mayoral challenger Gloria Gray to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new store sits at 8451 Crenshaw Blvd. near West 85th Street in the Morningside Park neighborhood, open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Times. Butts told the paper he had never seen anything like the opening celebration, and said the turnout on the first day proved Sprouts could be successful in Inglewood. Gray, who is running against Butts in Inglewood's mayoral election, said businesses in the community should partner with the community.

The site's history reflects just how long the neighborhood went without a full-service grocer. After Safeway closed its store there in the 1970s, the building was used as a church school, then later became a 99 Cents Only store, according to the same report. That discount chain vanished from the site after its parent company, Number Holdings Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024 and liquidated all 371 of its 99 Cents Only stores nationwide, per LA Local.

A Decade in the Making

Chris Jackson, who was involved in developing the Sprouts store alongside Bernard McCrumby, told the Times that officials had worked for about a decade to bring a grocer to the site. Jackson described Inglewood as a food desert, noting that residents face a disproportionate amount of fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and liquor stores compared with other Los Angeles neighborhoods.

That description lines up with what the city has watched unfold in real time. In March 2026, grocery giant Kroger permanently closed Inglewood's only Food 4 Less location on Century Boulevard as part of a national restructuring that shuttered 60 underperforming stores, eliminating 64 local jobs, according to LA Local. The closure left budget shoppers with fewer nearby options for discount staples just months before Sprouts opened its doors.

The gap in Inglewood mirrors a broader regional strain. A December 2025 study by the USC Dornsife Public Exchange found that 24% of Los Angeles County households — roughly 1 in 4 — experienced food insecurity in 2025, a figure that climbed to 35% among low-income households. Against that backdrop, the arrival of a full-scale grocer carries weight well beyond one storefront.

Jobs, Investment and Community Voices

City of Inglewood assessor permit records from December 2025 put the estimated commercial permit valuation for the Sprouts renovation project at $4.6 million, a figure reflecting the scale of construction poured into converting the long-dormant building. Mayor Butts has said the new store created more than 90 jobs for local residents, according to a city statement reported by Secret Los Angeles.

Inside the store, assistant manager Julian Levine said the community had been very excited and had anticipated the opening for some time, per the Times. Pamela Briggs said the community wanted a grocery market with fresh produce and health-conscious food, and she hopes community members continue to shop there. Cherie Harris, who shopped regularly at the Sprouts in Culver City before the Inglewood location opened, said healthier and organic food options are important for the health of the Black community.

Not every resident's wish list has been checked off yet. Some Inglewood shoppers say they want more Caribbean and African items stocked at the store, and at least one resident hopes Sprouts will invest in urban brands. Jackson has said the store is working to stock Inglewood-based labels on its shelves, though that effort has not yet materialized on the shelves themselves.

Giveaways and Community Programs

Opening weekend came with its share of freebies. Sprouts employees distributed tote bags containing snacks and a long-stemmed rose to shoppers, and Secret Los Angeles reported that promotional incentives included free reusable tote bags for the first 200 daily shoppers on Friday and Saturday, along with free long-stem roses for the first 400 opening-day guests.

Sprouts has said it partners with local brands to support communities around its stores, and the chain also runs a food rescue program that donates unsellable but edible groceries to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The Inglewood location opened simultaneously with a new Sprouts store in Waco, Texas, both operating under identical daily hours, according to The Shelby Report. Sprouts had originally scheduled the Inglewood grand opening for July 10 before pushing the official date back to August 21.

What Comes Next for Food Access

Even with a major chain now open on Crenshaw Boulevard, smaller independent grocers remain part of the neighborhood's food supply. Kelso Ranch Market at 601 W. Kelso St. continues operating to help supply fresh food in Inglewood alongside the incoming national chain, LA Local reported.

Whether a specialty grocer known for higher price points can fully serve residents accustomed to discount stores remains an open question in a city where grocery options have long lagged behind neighboring Los Angeles communities. For now, the celebration on Crenshaw Boulevard marked the end of a vacancy that outlasted a Safeway, a church school and a dollar store, and the beginning of what officials hope will be a lasting fix to a food access problem a decade in the making.