Grocery Outlet opens in King City after a long legal battle.

Residents of King City and the neighboring towns were welcomed with orange, red and yellow balloons plus a DJ playing "Baila Esta Cumbia," a hit cumbia song by Mexican-American artist Selena Quintanilla, to the opening ceremony of the Grocery Outlet store that has been long awaited in the area. 

At first glance, Grocery Outlet may look like just another chain store, but for King City residents it’s a big victory as Thursday’s event took years in the making, said Mike LeBarre, King City’s mayor. More than a grand opening it was a party, with some of the locals decked in bull-riding cowboy hats or dressed to impress in sports coats while mothers and kids swayed their bodies to the enticing cumbia sounds that blared from the large loudspeakers.

“I am so damn happy about this because [this project] was a struggle. [The store] was supposed to be built about two years ago,” LeBarre said on May 7. “Grocery Outlet took about six months to build and it’s locally owned and operated.”

The store, located at 1023 Broadway St. next to the Dutch Bros Coffee, was approved by the city council in 2022, after being proposed by Best Development Group, LLC in 2021, but construction was set back due to legal obstacles. Efrain Aguilera, represented by UFCW Local 5, a labor union representing employees from other commercial businesses in King City, and Working Families of Monterey, challenged the approval in court, contending the city didn’t follow environmental review laws and didn’t qualify for a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for in-fill development.

The group contested that the project was not in an "urbanized area" and that the environmental assessment inadequately analyzed air quality impacts for future occupants due to proximity to Highway 101. The trial court ruled in favor of the City and the grocery store.

An appeal was then filed to the Sixth District Court of Appeal by Aguilera and Working Families of Monterey, resulting in further delays to construction. The court reviewed the case and ultimately decided that the City was right to consider the project in an urban area because the store is near other commercial buildings, a sheriff’s office, a cemetery and right next to Highway 101. The court said the City didn't have to do a full environmental review, a decision that allowed the construction to move forward. 

Deleynna and Josh Cox, the married couple who own the Grocery Outlet, shared some words during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

“We are grateful for everyone close and far who came to support us here at the community store, because this is for everyone. We are here to serve and listen to our customers,” Deleynna Cox said, adding that the store's opening was an answer to their prayers. “It was meant to be.” 

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, also came to the grand opening.

“You walk in and you see beautiful produce, along with other things that are affordable,” Lofgren said. “There are 32 new jobs here at this store and a few more on the way. So it's not just the customers, but the employees who are welcoming this.”

On Thursday, all 72 parking spaces were almost filled as customers walked in to purchase groceries. Many no longer have to travel 20 minutes to the city of Soledad to the other nearest Grocery Outlet. 

Evelia Resendiz, an 81-year-old King City resident and a Mexican native, who lives a block away from the store, said she’s happy to have a place to shop for groceries without spending gas and saving money. 

“Safeway is expensive and now I can just walk to get meat and vegetables and everything I need to cook. I save money for food and gas,” Resendiz said. 

The employees who started training a month prior are also appreciative to have a job and serve their community. After working 23 years as a cashier at a gas station, 50-year-old Alejandro Santillan is earning the same hourly rate of $17 an hour at Grocery Outlet, but saving money for gas as he lives about a three-mile drive away from the store. 

“Where I used to work was a 15-mile drive. Right now gas is too expensive so I need to drive less,” Santillan said. 

Employee Andrea Garcia, who is a Hartnell College student studying to be a teacher and lives about a three-minute drive from the location, said she is excited to see customers shop.

“I used to work at Ross and it was different but I wanted to learn something new and I knew this store was going to teach me new skills,” Garcia said. “We're here for the customers, but the staff is here for each other and our bosses are great.”

Raye Ann, a 78-year-old born and raised in King City, said she loves Safeway but it’s good to have competition. 

“I’ve already noticed Safeway dropping their prices and that’s OK, they should,” Ann says. “It’s just good for our community to have another grocery store.”