Fresh & Easy Wants to Open in Santa Monica

Fresh & Easy, the green "neighborhood market" that has rapidly expanded its Southern California reach the past few months, is looking to open a 29,250-square-foot store at .

Unfamiliar with the British-owned outlets? They're sort of like in that they offers affordably priced products and pre-made meals with no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors or added trans fats. The biggest difference? Wider aisles.

Market officials said in their proposal that the opening will create 30 new jobs.

They also propose to lease off-site space to fulfill the city's requirement of 50 parking spots; there are currently 38 at the site at 2800 Wilshire Blvd. Daily deliveries, via one Fresh & Easy truck, would take place from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and by up to five vendor trucks between 7 and 1 p.m.

Santa Monica's planning department is hosting a meeting to gather community input on the project today, Thursday, March 1 from 6:30 pm. to 8 p.m. at the Douglas Park Clubhouse, at 2439 Wilshire Blvd.

"We've been looking at Santa Monica for quite a while... This is a good fit for that neighborhood. This [site] particularly stood out," Fresh & Easy spokesman Brendan Wonnacott said of the location at Wilshire Boulevard at 26th Street.

The city planner overseeing the project, Russell W. Bunim, said it was too soon to say when the proposal would be reviewed by the Planning Commission. Environmental and traffic reviews still need to be conducted, he said.

"We're still very early in the process," said Wonnacott. "There's no opening date timeline yet."

Since January, the company has opened 20 new stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Next week, it will cut ribbons at the grand openings of its first five Sacramento-area locations.

Company officials say that on average, Fresh & Easy stores use 30 percent less energy than a typical supermarket. They install LED lighting in external signs and freezer cases, and use "advanced" refrigerators and freezers. The company also recycles or reuses all of its display packaging, sending the majority back through its distribution center.

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