New Seasons grocery store coming to Rio Road and Crossroads in Carmel.

It's official.

The rumors that have long swirled around the empty lot on Rio Road opposite the Crossroads had some truth.

Assuming all goes according to plan, in 2019 Portland-based New Seasons Market will open a 23,000-square-foot store in the Rio Ranch Marketplace. 

They're the same people behind New Leaf Markets.

(What's the difference? In short, PR reps tell me, New Seasons has a deli and prepared foods section, with seating. Both New Leaf and New Seasons rock about 75 percent organic produce. More about New Seasons appears at the bottom of this post.)

Approximately 100 new hires should accompany it.

New Seasons President and CEO Wendy Collie realizes Carmel is a sweet market to which to bring an upscale grocery store.

“Carmel shares our community values and our passion for healthy living,” she says. “We can’t wait to meet our neighbors and create a gathering place where old friends and new connect over great food and conversation. This is a special community and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

I'm guessing a lot fewer people will be driving to Whole Foods.

Doug Wiele, founding partner of Foothill Partners and Rancho Rio developer—and the guy who brought Trader Joe's to Monterey—is banking on that.

“The Mouth of the Valley is an ideal spot for a New Seasons because it offers shoppers the convenience of not having to go over the hill to Monterey for fresh, local and organic food,” he says. “It’s as simple as that."

He touts the design of the store and the product choices as big draws. 

New Seasons also anticipates partnering with Carmel Valley nonprofits that feed the hungry, educate youth and protect the environment, keeping with a commitment to reinvest 10 percent of after-tax profits in the community.

Some more info about New Seasons Market from its PR firm appear here: 

• New Seasons’ stores pair local, organic favorites with everyday grocery classics to offer customers choice, quality and value. This includes peak-of-season local, organic produce with clear place-of-origin labelling; sustainably sourced meats and seafood, and non-GMO marinades; inventive New Seasons chef-prepared deli options from ramen and hot wok bars, made-to-order sandwiches and well-stocked grab-and-go options; handcrafted organic, Non-GMO Project Verified breads baked daily.

• Behind New Seasons’ bounty of fresh, local, organic food is a commitment to supporting the region’s best farmers, ranchers, fishers and producers. It nurtures long-term partnerships, encourages local innovation and emerging food entrepreneurs, and makes an effort to connect neighbors with the people who put all their heart into making great food.

• Each New Seasons location is unique with features like wine bars and growler-fill stations, to fire pits and outdoor lounge chairs. Sustainability elements include food composting, water conservation features and high-efficiency refrigeration systems.

• People are what makes New Seasons special. Its approachable, friendly staff offers expert advice on natural wellness, free nutrition classes, recipe and cooking tips and are encouraged to do whatever it takes to make customers happy.

• New Seasons actively recruits and hires staff from the neighborhoods it serves. Its progressive employment practices include comprehensive compensation and benefits packages including benefits for partners and dependents that exceed industry standards, 20 percent staff discount, lifestyle scheduling, profit share, ongoing training and management training to enable staff to advance in their careers.

• The world’s first Certified B Corp grocer, New Seasons Market is among a community of more than 1,500 triple-bottom-line companies around the world dedicated to using the power of business for good. The third-party B Corp assessment recognizes New Seasons Market for placing as much value on taking care of its staff, community and the environment as it does growing and operating a sustainable business.

• New Seasons joined the San Jose community in 2015 and will open stores in Emeryville and Sunnyvale in 2017. Additionally, it operates 18 neighborhood grocery stores in the Portland, Ore.-Vancouver, Wash. metro area and plans to two open two stores in the Seattle area.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to reflect the following correction: The key difference between New Leaf and New Seasons is that New Seasons has a prepared food section and deli, not more conventional produce offerings.