San Francisco Supervisor Malia Cohen and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development announced today that a local grocer will be expanding to an additional location in San Francisco’s Bayview district.
Family-run market Duc Loi, which according to its website specializes in Asian and Latin American groceries at its current location in the Mission district, plans to fill a vacant space located at 5800 Third St., which has been empty for nearly two years.
Construction on the new 14,000 square foot Duc Loi Bayview location is expected begin in mid-November and open next March, according to Office of Supervisor Malia Cohen spokesman Mawuli Tugbenyoh.
The new Duc Loi location is expected to create 20 jobs for local residents, feature underground parking for customers and offer a wide selection of culturally diverse healthy foods and produce for Bayview residents, according to Supervisor Cohen’s office.
“The challenge of access to healthy food and produce has been persistent in Bayview for too long,” Cohen said in a statement. “I want to acknowledge that a San Francisco small business had the vision to step up where big box grocers would not.”
The space was previously occupied by a Fresh and Easy, a grocery store chain that recently closed 52 other locations in the western United States, according to the Office of Supervisor Cohen.
Mayor Lee and Supervisor Cohen tasked the Office of Economic and Workforce Development with recruiting a new market to occupy this location.
“Attracting Duc Loi is a major achievement that brings greater access to fresh food for the community, provides jobs for local residents, and serves as an anchor for the Third Street retail corridor,” San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement. “It is with great pleasure that I welcome Duc Loi Market to Bayview.”
Rachel Matsuoka, Bay City News
