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If crowds waiting through a near-hour-long grand opening ceremony are any indication of support, the celebration Wednesday morning at New Leaf Community Markets’ dedication of its new store in Pleasanton bodes well for future success.
It’s been years since cars and crowds filled the parking lot at the Vintage Hills Center, a once nearly dormant center where its only anchor store, Romley’s Supermarket, closed 15 years ago.
Now New Leaf, a Santa Cruz-based grocer that specializes in organic meats, food, produce and other products, has opened its doors with a festive opening day ceremony that included live music by the Four & More combo, speeches by city and civic leaders, and welcoming statements from the store’s owners.
Scott Roseman, who with his partner Rex Stewart opened their first grocery store in Santa Cruz in 1985, and Pleasanton store manager Mark McKinney told a cheering crowd that not only will New Leaf feature top quality organics, but that the store will contribute 10% of its profits each year to local nonprofit organizations.
“It’s something we’ve done from the start with a pledge that our success should also be shared with the community,” Roseman said.
New Leaf also initiated a profit-sharing plan for its employees in its first year of operation, which continues today for its 500 employees at New Leaf markets in Santa Cruz, Capitola, Half Moon Bay and San Jose.
McKinney said 95 employees have been hired for the Pleasanton store, who also will benefit from New Leaf’s profit-sharing and health care policies.
“What really caught my eye as I studied up on New Leaf before coming to this grand opening today is what a great partner these folks have with the communities they’re in,” said Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne, a keynote speaker at Wednesday’s ceremonies.
“They give a share of their profits to local nonprofit organizations, but they also showcase a Community Day six times a year where they donate 5% of their gross sales for that day to a selected nonprofit in the community,” he added. “This store will also sponsor a food bank during the holiday season.
“So we’re very pleased when a business like this comes to our city and demonstrates from the start Pleasanton’s Community of Character trait.”
Shoppers, New Leaf and city leaders weren’t the only ones celebrating Wednesday. Other tenants in the once nearly abandoned Vintage Hills Center applauded the new vitality an anchor store will bring to their business complex.
New Leaf’s 19,000-square-foot store all but fills the center, where diverse businesses, ranging from Hair Cuttery and Vintage Hills Cleaners to a popular yogurt shop and the Coffee Ali coffee shop, are major tenants. It was the determination of the cleaners and styling shop owners to stay in Vintage Hills, along with the support of their long-time customers, that was mostly responsible for keeping the center from the wrecking balls, which some city leaders and investor James Tong wanted to tear down to make way for apartment buildings.
Today, the only vacancy is next door to New Leaf where a dance studio recently closed. Commercial real estate agents predict it won’t be long before a retailer signs a lease for what has now become premium retail space in Pleasanton.
New Leaf Markets in Pleasanton will be open every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Mark McKinney, store manager at New Leaf Markets in Pleasanton, welcomes more than 100 shoppers at opening-day ceremonies in front of the store in Pleasanton’s Vintage Hills Center. Waiting to speak behind McKinney is New Leaf owner Scott Roseman. Photo by Jeb Bing. -
Crowds of shoppers anxiously await opening of New Leaf Markets in Pleasanton’s Vintage Hills Center. Store opened Wednesday after festive opening-day ceremonies. Photo by Jeb Bing. -
Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne salutes the opening of New Leaf Markets in the city’s Vintage Hills Center, praising store’s pledge to donate 10% of annual profits to local charities. Photo by Jeb Bing. -
New Leaf Markets co-founder Scott Rosesman addresses crowd of more than 100 shoppers WEdnesday at opening-day ceremonies for his new store in Pleasanton’s Vintage Hills Center. Photo by Jeb Bing.
It’s a really beautiful store inside and I hope they do well here. However, it is really pricey so it will only appeal to a certain demographic. Welcome to the neighborhood.
I am willing to pay more to shop at a nice store that I can walk/bike to. Cheap groceries/goods come at a price the whole community ends up paying for later. This company is trying to make a profit but also better the community and I will support them.
“Cheap groceries/goods come at a price the whole community ends up paying for later.”
What the heck does that mean? Is there something wrong with cheap groceries or living on a budget? I’m not a huge fan of Safeway, but they are very community minded and do food drives, donations, etc. too. Like I said, New Leaf is a beautiful store and I will shop there occasionally for special items, but it will not have broad appeal to those watching their pennies.
Is this a union business? That might explain the reason for the inflated prices.
We’ve been waiting for New Leaf to open for a long time here. My husband and I when we were in college would often go to the local New Leaf in Santa Cruz when he attended UCSC. This was almost 20 years ago. New Leaf was smaller and I believe it was the only one at the time. I remember the excellent sandwiches and local produce. There was a definite community feel/vibe and we loved it! We are so excited its finally here and can share with our kids mom/dad’s memories about this special market. I went in yesterday for lunch and ordered my favorite sandwich. 🙂
I don’t think the new WalMart grocery will treat their workers so well.
John, how does new leaf treat it’s employee’s? How do you know, unless you are their union rep? How will they be treated when they are laid off, after business slows to the point where they need to cut back?
Dear Worth It.
Thank you for the great sentiment.
The cheap – no matter what jobs are lost (sent overseas)and the let’s not give people benefits (so that our taxes pay for them) attitude that Wal-Mart fostered,AFTER Sam Walton passed away is what has ruined this country.
Nowadays it seems the vast majority of people want crap and unfortunately businesses today are willing to give it to them.
Hurray for New Leaf (non-Union). Thank you for investing in your employees and in Pleasanton.
It’s nice that they have a grocery store in the Vintage Hills area again. I understand that a number of employees quit Sprouts to go to work at New Leaf. I wonder if the area can support yet another high-priced organic grocery store. It’s interesting how many folks have bought into the “organic” scam, particularly in light of a number of studies (Consumer Reports being one) that showed pesticide contamination was generally higher on the organic produce they tested than with regular produce.
Hopefully this store will cut down on the number of Ruby Hills moms in their Chevy Suburban tanks clogging the streets going to Gene’s, Sprouts, and Whole Paycheck Market. Now they can PO the folks in Vintage Hills.
“careful shopper” — did you not read the article? Profit sharing and health care coverage are good things for employees. Apparently, you think a low-paying job without benefits helps you because the groceries are cheaper, and helps the employee because a job is better than no job.
It will be interesting to see if New Leaf succeeds in Pleasanton, especially if Pleasanton shoppers are only interested in low cost food items.
Without question, the high cost of local, organic and high nutritional quality foods is a concern. New Leaf does carry lower-cost “generic” organic items. For the same sort of items Safeway is not cheaper, and is in some cases more expensive. However, the Safeway on Santa Rita has recently stopped carrying much in the way of natural foods.
Overall, though, cheaper foods (as found in WalMart) do cost the community at large in less specific ways than just the cost to shoppers on a budget. Cheaper foods are typically produced in ways more destructive to the environment, and are largely less nutritionally valuable than more expensive foods. These cost the community at large by way of environmental mitigation, health care costs and the like. Less easy to quantify, but real enough. The low cost markets tend to have more low-paid and temporary workers who cost the community in health care costs (because they’re not covered) and by way of even Food Stamps, which low paid workers still have to get in order to make ends meet…
Does it all balance out? Who knows? But I prefer the model offered by New Leaf and other businesses like it.
“Ptown bard” I’d be interested in hearing about your sources for the study showing pesticide residue on organic produce. I think you’re mistaken in your citation of Consumer Reports. A recent article in the New York Times cites that John Stossel’s TV assertion about organic pesticide residue had to be retracted because such a study had never taken place. Consumers Reports did a similar study themselves and found far less residue on organic produce. (Which makes sense, doesn’t it? The organic produce isn’t being sprayed at all.) So I’m not sure what you’re saying about the scam…
Here’s a link to the story, just for fun: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/08/us/study-finds-far-less-pesticide-residue-on-organic-produce.html
I’m very happy to see the New Leaf store open. I went to the opening and then went again later in the day. It is very nicely done. It was quite busy even after the opening. The food is top quality and they have a great selection. I’m only 6 blocks away so it will be my number one store. I don’t consider paying for quality to be “pricy” and I consider healthy food to be a form of healthcare insurance. I frequent the farmers markets but now I have a nice choice that is close and open everyday. This is just the kind of store that was needed at this location.
I agree with Michael L., a perfect store for this location, and this city. I only wish it were bigger 🙂 It would have been nice if they took up the space that is vacant right next door as well. Perhaps they will, before someone else takes up that space.
I am thrilled a new grocery store is in town! These old-time Pleasanton people need to realize the community is changing here and diversity is a good thing. If you don’t, then you’re missing out on life. It’s simple: Don’t shop there if you think prices are too high.
I shopped there today and loved it! I’ll definitely go again, especially because I can walk there. Even noticed some of Raley’s staff there checking out the competition. I will continue to shop Raley’s for certain non-fresh items, but I will do the majority of my fresh food shopping at New Leaf.
I am so excited that the city council majority did not allow James Tong to tear down the shopping center to put in high density housing there. Tong originally ran the place into the ground and then demanded the city rezone the parcel to high-density housing with a few square feet of retail. He eventually lost that battle (although Pico and Hosterman supported Tong, since Tong supported their campaigns), and he eventually sold the center. This store was exactly what I was looking for there and I believe will thrive.
I am very glad they are finally open. I work for a competitor but being this store is closer to my house I will shop here. Many times I have driven to their San Jose location to shop. Yes I know whole Foods has alot of the same stuff and San Ramon is closer BUT that parking lot sucks. I would rather drive the extra miles and know my car is safer in San jose then at WF in SR.
New Leaf welcome.
Shopped at the market today and was very happy. Yes, the prices are higher on some things and not on others. It is very much a “mini” Whole Foods and I’m thrilled to have an alternative to Safeway. New Leaf…..please do not become a Safeway. We have plenty of that in Pleasanton already. Separate yourself with very fresh seafood and some upscale items that are not found in the bigger markets. Welcome to the Neighborhood.
I am so excited to finally see a grocery store in the Vintage Hills shopping center again. I loved the selection and the fresh made foods that you can pick up if you don’t have time to cook that day. Some items are more and some are less, however the quality was fabulous so I will be a customer. I was also impressed with the wide range of foods they had for people with allergies or intolerances to certain foods. That will be such a help to so many families who have had to run from store to store to shop and can now get such a great variety all in one place. I hope that New Leaf thrives!
Right P-Town, I don’t buy into the organic scam. I like large, perfect produce, rather than bug-chewn ‘natural’. I’m from the farm-belt, and .I like where science has taken us….more, better, cheaper.
I’m glad to hear they have ‘hot’ foods….I no longer cook for a household of ONE !! I’ll check that out.
Suzie, you must have mixed up false tidbits you’ve overheard and not seen. There is excellent and plentiful parking at WR in San Ramon…
impossible parking in Walnut Creek, and at TJs Pleasanton…TJs Livermore has a huge, huge parking lot. I love TJs, shop there about every 4-5 days. BUT, I’M a prepared food shopper.
Some union jerks on this thread have about sickened me on Leaf with their trash-talk on WalMart. I will be shopping at WM market when it opens. I shop WalMart, WholeFoods, TJs, and some Safeway & Raley’s. Different things at different stores….a smart shopper. NOT a narrow-minded, lo-life zealot! I’ll give Leaf a fair try, but trashing WalMart made me want to NOT give it a try. This is America and I value my freedom to choose everything.