What’s going on with the Cala Foods on Nob Hill? It has been well over a year since we were told it would be closing but it’s still open. It’s the only grocery store on Nob Hill (and Lower Nob Hill and even the Tenderloin). The next closest is Safeway near Fisherman’s Wharf (quite a ways away). And some say we could always go to Whole Foods, but they are extremely expensive and don’t carry most national brands. With all the laws the BOS love to pass, isn’t there something they could do to keep it open?
The Nob Hill grocery store, which is the sole remaining Cala Foods, has been slated to close at the end of 2010 since 2008. But is that for sure?
“We don’t know yet,” says Cala Foods’ bookkeeper, who asked for her name to be withheld. “But we’ll know by October 31st, because if we’re going to close by the end of the year they need to give us a 60 day notice.”
Why the delay? According to the bookkeeper, The Kroger Co (the Cincinnati-based company that owns Cala Foods) is still in negotiations with the building’s landlord.
Kroger wishes to close the location, she says, but the landlord is trying to find someone else to take over the store. As you might recall, development company The Prado Group‘s long–discussed mixed-use plans for this location might have been put on hold after negotiations with other grocery stores to occupy this location stalled in June of this year.
Kroger hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment at publication time, but we’ll keep you posted! And if you know anything, well, you know where to find us.
Related: Last July, the Oakland Tribune reported that Kroger Co. prepares to open two 72,000-square-foot stores in Oakland.
You can also check out this 2008 SF Chronicle article to learn more about Cala Foods and the “Bay Area grocery wars.”
Photo: Yelp user Kevin Y
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