Thursday, November 11, 2010

Grocer hiring for local launch

Updated: 11/11/2010 11:06:40 AM PST

Fresh & Easy said Wednesday that it will hire about 270 people in the next few months to work at soon-to-open Bay Area stores -- a move that comes on the heels of a new land deal in Vallejo by the grocery chain.

"We are currently hiring for these stores, all set to open early next year," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. "Each store will employ between 20 to 25 people."

All told, 12 stores in the Bay Area and nearby Stanislaus County are seeking to hire workers, Wonnacott said. That would equate to 240 to 300 workers for the dozen markets combined. Fresh & Easy is a unit of United Kingdom-based supermarket behemoth Tesco.

"We offer competitive pay, which includes a quarterly bonus of up to 10 percent," he said. "All Fresh & Easy employees are given the opportunity to work at least 20 hours per week, which entitles them to comprehensive and affordable health care."

The Fresh & Easy stores that need workers will be located in Concord, Danville, Hayward, Modesto, Napa, Pacifica, Pleasanton, San Francisco, San Jose, Vacaville and Walnut Creek. San Jose is getting two stores.

The retailer, though, appears to hunger for more locations beyond these dozen sites, which the company first revealed in 2008.

On Oct. 18, Fresh & Easy Property Co. bought a parcel in Vallejo, according to Solano County property files. The sellers were Ilia and Stella Lerner.

Read more...

Posted by Steve Sinai

51 comments:

Vreelandia said...

How dare you peasants denounce King Vreeland. My word is my bond.

I told you Vreeland wanted Fresh & Easy was going into Pedro Point, and you infidels questionsed me.

You people, I am the authority and that is very very bad.

The great Vreeland has spoken!


The next pero

vreeman said...

this is why I get elected and you can never unseat me. i deliver on my promises. economic prosperity is coming to pacifica and no man has been a bigger friend of the working class than me. doubters are free to leave town.

Anonymous said...

Great News.

Anonymous said...

I applaud Vreeland. This is good for Pacifica.

Kathy Meeh said...

Hum, another grocery store vs.quarry and Palmetto/Beach development, that's what you're applauding Vreeland for? No wonder you post as "Anonymous".

Anonymous said...

Are you opposed to economic development if it's not in the quarry or Palmetto/Beach area?

Vreelandia said...

Kathy

The Great Vreeland has spoken

SILENCE!!!!!!

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 9:11am, 4 years awaiting a grocery store almost seems like who cares? Look at your grocery receipt, not much tax revenue on that. Pacifica needs tax revenue generating businesses.

Scotty said...

How can you not be encouraged when a new local business opens, Kathy? This (and more of it) is just what Pacifica needs.

It's so discouraging and simple-minded when we play out our own little Fox News/MSNBC passion play locally (only instead of conservative/liberal, it's "I hate council"/"I love council").

Anonymous said...

Well said Scotty. With the economic downturn stopping the planned for expansion of Fresh & Easy, now it appears they are moving forward, take every bit of good news you can get.

Kathy Meeh said...

Scotty, the issue was Vreeland supporting 1 grocery store vs. development for Palmetto/Beach Blvd and the quarry-- the millions of dollars and services vs. the thousands of dollars and partial duplication of services another grocery store will bring-in. You and Anonymous, might want to get together for a cup of coffee-- that's also good for our economy.

Anonymous said...

well said Scotty. this marginal addition to Pacifica's tax base is exactly what the city needs to avoid bankruptcy.

What is discouraging is the simple-mindedness of people who cling to ever little minor advance as if these are actual "solutions" while ignoring the 4 million steps backwards this council has taken.

vreeman said...

I bring 20 jobs to Pacifica. I tank the local economy and make 20 entire businesses fold like pacifica lumber. this is Vreegebra, my form of algebra where less is more and more is less. thank you scotty my faithful servant for spreading the good word.

Anonymous said...

meanwhile scotty is praising council over on Patch for shafting the unions. how many union jobs does Fresh and Easy bring to town? oh yeah, they are anti-union because Tesco is the British version of wal-mart.

Anonymous said...

The election is over. Let's work on what can be done to improve our financial situation going forward.

Scotty said...

Again with the unions, Jeff?

It's not "you versus me" or "us versus them". I wish some of you people could grow up and stop acting like 4-year-olds.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about you but the tax revenue safeway gets from me is huge. Pots and Pans have been on sale, along with good deals on their make-up. I stock up on goods at Safeway. Plus, SF Ghiridelli Chocolate and French Champagne has been on sale at Safeway. It would be nice to have a grocery store across the highway where I can get gourmat meals to go. I am looking forward to the store opening. Thanks Vreeland.

Kathy Meeh said...

Well goody for you Anon 11:13am, maybe you can support both stores and boost city tax revenue all on your own. My grocery receipt is just that (groceries), with probably less than 1% (time-averaged)taxed items.

Anon 10:58am, political amnesia is a chronic disease in Pacifica. Hold this city council to city improvement (which seems impossible since 3 votes on city council are needed). As Vreeland says "if the people don't vote for taxes (city council proposed in lieu of development) the city grows smaller. Good businesses such as Pacifica Lumber should not fail, but they do without adequate population need, competitive pricing, or city growth.

Anonymous said...

Safeway has had the best sale on wine and spirits. This is a good time to stock up for gifts and the holidays.

Anonymous said...

You will not get diplomacy with Kathy.

Anonymous said...

continue pummeling the deceased equine

Kathy Meeh said...

Thanks for the wine and spirits stock-up tip Anonymous drinker, carnivore. Now the Anonymous person who hates Safeway can respond with "they really jacked-up the price so you could think you made a good deal on wine and spirits" and "they forced you to donate to charity (which really amounts to payroll bonuses) on the way out."

Other Anononymous, words of wisdom from a Pacifica fortune cookie "Expect efforts at diplomacy to be overrun with frogs and snakes."

mike bell said...

Good news about Fresh and Easy.

Now if we can just keep that little rascal Vreeland from abusing our public servants and trying to build monuments to himself. He averages at least one wrongful termination lawsuit and a pet project per term which unfortunately keeps wiping out our local business tax revenues.

Anonymous said...

Only on Faux Pathetica would a bunch of whiny posters clamor for increased business in their community only to turn arouund and piss and moan about those very businesses when they do arrive.

Anonymous said...

Their prices are about the same. Frash and Easy Cranberry juice right now is a penny more than Safeway. What Fresh and Eash offers is wholesome prepared inexpensive foods. Food that is better for you than say those really good chicken fingers and fries at Safeway. They are definitely different types of grocery stores.

Fresh and Easy will attract a certain type of customer that won't necessarily cross the highway after they are done surfing and swimming at our beautiful LindaMar Beach. I think it is a perfect fit for Pedro Point.

Anonymous said...

"Only on Faux Pathetica would a bunch of whiny posters clamor for increased business in their community only to turn arouund and piss and moan about those very businesses when they do arrive."

some people are never happy, are they?? these are the same people who whined about pro-economy city council candidates and then couldnt even support them to oust the incumbents.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anyone whining about this single new business other than Anonymous 2:01pm, 3:00pm who couldn't say all he/she wanted to in 1 bite?

Reasonable whining is Vreeland's lack of effort (obstruction) to over 12 years to make needed business and commercial improvement in this city-- which makes Fresh and Easy look like the commercial booby prize.

Anonymoose said...

You were complaining about Fresh and Easy, Kathy. You're as bad as the greenies who always find something to complain about whenever a new business tries to open up in town.

Anonymoose said...

"The election is over. Let's work on what can be done to improve our financial situation going forward."

Absolutely. People like Kathy and Anonymous@3:10 PM need to figure that out. Put the grudges to bed for now.

Anonymous said...

Kathy Meeh said...

Well goody for you Anon 11:13am, maybe you can support both stores and boost city tax revenue all on your own. My grocery receipt is just that (groceries), with probably less than 1% (time-averaged)taxed items.


Sooo... we should leave the space empty and balance the city's budget on the back of the massive 0% currently collected?

Phylis Diller said...

Can we have a little unity? it's the olidays!

I would like to give thanks to everyone on this blog for being so darn entertaining.

thorn in vreelands ass said...

I went over to Costco and bought 3000 bucks worth of stuff. A new flat screen and a sound system. Bought up some steaks for the grill this weekend..

Maybe Julie, can get me to pay Pacifica the missed out taxes South San Francisco just got!!

Fang said...

Shut up, Phyllis.

its all good in the hood said...

If you want to go to Safeway fine. If you want to go to Luckys, go. If you want to go Fresh & Easy go. If you want to shop over the hill.

The people who voted for Sue and Jim just voted for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy

Kathy Meeh said...

Anonymoose the issue is 12 year planning vs. hearing forever about 1 "pet" store. There's plenty of room in Pacifica for business and services, we just need a whole lot more, and over 8 years there doesn't seem to have been much effort on the part of city council to fix that known structural problem.

Fresh and Easy will be a nice addition, but it sure isn't a plan, and not much tax revenue either. What was stated by Anon 11:13am was allegorical and probably not true on a consistent basis: "I don't know about you but the tax revenue safeway gets from me is huge..."

My comments were appropriate, and stand. Your comment about "let's all get along" is goofy, and redirects the issue.

Anonymoose said...

Your comments are incoherent, Kathy.

mike bell said...

Stone and Nihart will be the only business rational people on Council. That's still a 3/2 vote against common sense but at least it's a start.

Next election cycle said...

One more of the 3 stooges will be gone and it will be 3 to 2

Kathy Meeh said...

Right you are Mike, the city council count is 3/2 = 0 progress (since 3 council members determine the direction of this city). Except even so, Nihart has been able to push some of the Finance and Business agenda. And the Chamber of Commerce has made pro-business improvements this year.

Anonymooos, not sure what you do or do not understand, because you seem to be in attack mode rather than inquiry mode. Vreeland has prevented economic progress on city council for 12 years (he is the council member of our prior discussion). A city council working an economic strategy over 8 years in this city would be expected-- that didn't happen.

Nice that there will be a new Fresh and Easy grocery store, but its not a plan (as in city economic strategy). Beyond that you may accept what I say as "incoherent", not my problem and you're not that slow.

Love the Anon 7:18 comment: "The sun will come up tomorrow. Oh cool. We can wait, right?"

Anonymous said...

This Vreeland guy must be very powerful if he prevented economic progress on city council for 12 years.

Anonymous said...

HaHa!

Anonymous said...

no one seems to understand the big plan here. all the union jobs that are lost from the police and fire department will be picked up by fresh and easy. it is called corporate welfare . . . eliminate the heavy public sector jobs and their benefits and pensions and absorb them into the private sector. this is the fiscal responsibility scotty keeps praising so stop being so negative!!

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 9:25am, good point (positive). But, why do I think that's not what Scotty had in mind? Just being negative I guess.

Maybe with another stop sign our economy can be selling trinkets and flowers on the highway. Past police officers can make sure those cars driving through stop. Past fire personnel can put out fires in event those cars don't stop. "Powerful" Vreeman can manage all. "Our environment is our economy." Another positive solution for our community, done.

Anonymoose said...

Good point (positive)?

Explain what you think is so positive about Anonymous@9:25's comment, Kathy. Do you think the Fresh & Easy is coming here as part of a plot to replace police and fire jobs?

Kathy Meeh said...

Satirical comment in follow-up to Anon 9:25am on downsizing needed government and safety jobs and gifting these highly valued employees to non-union Fresh and Easy. Thus these wages and benefits seem to be ascribed as "corporate welfare" (possibly in the downsizing of America wages and benefits implication).

The criticism of Scotty's comment was no doubt unfounded and exaggerated, Anon 9:25am said: "this is the fiscal responsibility scotty keeps praising so stop being so negative!!"

Taking the "positive" view of that argument, I just followed the drift to its logical Pacifica conclusion. I'm sure you understood that nonsense exchange "Moose" 1:07pm-- but, if you were expecting an LOL following the comment (to identify satire), keep looking.

Anonymous said...

You make no sense whatsoever. Please go away and don't come back until you take an English class.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 3:38pm, please take a Wonderlic test and see if you can "walk and chew gum" at the same time-- since you seem to have problems following the thread.

Best of all since you are unable to describe what makes "no sense whatsoever", and are fixated on English in short sentences without substance (because you don't seem to offer ANYTHING in return)-- how about you ignore my comments altogether? How long to you want to continue this Anonymous, Anonymoose?

Anonymoose said...

Kathy, how about trying harder when it comes to expressing yourself clearly? You may understand what you're trying to say...nobody else does.

Kathy Meeh said...

No thanks "Anoymoose", I'll just talk to myself and let you bitch. Have a pleasant rest of the night, assuming you're still awake and sober.

Your prior comments don't warrant my kind response yet.

Anonymous said...

Jeez, Kathy, put a cork in it. You are actually the amusement on this site now. On second thought, give me some more reasons to not look at this site. 49 posts to this stream of nothingness. Count yours!

Kathy Meeh said...

Congratulations Anon, here you are addressing me again generating a "stream of nothingness". Think its okay for you to inquire directly of me or attack, and me not to respond? Think again.

There are now 50 comment on this article. About 35 of these are Anonymous, about 12 are from me (about 6 of these are direct inquiry or reply to Anonymous attacks). The "stream of nothingness" choice rather than dialog is all yours. Be happy, or change the focus back to the topic and say something that has meaning. I didn't cause your "stream of nothingness", you did.