Darn, I was hoping for something way better than Safeway. I'd rather a Trader Joes at least or even Sprouts. Safeway is terrible. Though after being here 16 years, I've only come to expect disappointment and bad decision after bad decision in Mt. View.

As little sense as it may make in Spanish, the neighborhood, school and shopping center are known as MontA Loma.

And yes we are pretty happy to be getting a grocery store, even if it is a Safeway.

Enough parking remains to be seen along with carts all over the place and a busy coffee shop next door. OMG

@member
I'm confused. Who do you think made the "bad decision" in this case? Safeway, for leasing the space? The property owner, for leasing the space to a willing tenant? Other stores, for not leasing the space?

Personally, I think a Safeway at this location is a bit redundant, given the one on Shoreline. But it's their business to run as they see fit. And an "everyday" store like Safeway might have a better chance of surviving there than a specialty market like TJ, WF, or Sprouts.

This is great news, although trader joes would be better. I am still glad about the safeway, monta loma residents desperately need some convenience of life.

@Darin,

Well I will admit the City of Mt. View really doesn't have much to do with who leases the spot, just very disappointed it's a Safeway. Safeway has terrible produce, product selection, and a terrible deli. Plus it takes forever in line for any purchases. There is already one a mile away!

The general 'Bad Decision' comment is the related to the way the city is being developed. Going towards El Camino Grand Canyon Real, The Monstrosity at San Anotinio, Rent Control, Blocking off Castro (Looked how well that worked out for every other city who has done that) that complex right at Moffett and Central with no parking. Ripping out all the beautiful trees for the new Google mall (oh but a google hired arborist said they were dying) and even considering anything the VTA proposes is always a bad idea. Cramming more and more people into the same space instead of focusing on quality of life. Not everyone needs to live here. People change jobs so often in Silicon Valley more housing just equals more traffic, pollution, crime, etc. More transient residents (as in short term not homeless) is bad for community. So yeah, bad decisions.

Let's see next what happens at the Ex-walgreens plaza...

Sheesh sounds just terrible. And not getting the grocery store of your choice withing walking distance too? Don't know how you are coping.
Perhaps you should move somewhere you like better?

Add me to the list of folks who were really hoping this would be a Trader Joes. Thanks to the latest Safeway, TJ's is even more inaccessible than it was from San Antonio.

I'm not sure how Safeway will "fit" into this space (and to a previous posters point, how about parking?) but thrilled to have a grocery here. I don't mind Safeway, I actually think their produce is far better than TJ's (TJ used to be good but not so much anymore) however I don't care for how they're limiting a lot of stock to just their store brand. Should be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Well, I was hoping for a TJ's but beggars can't be choosers. Safeway is lightyears better than F&E.

Here's hoping they don't try to do that super-mini-store thing that never goddamn works. Keep a full produce section and I'll be going there daily.

Tiny parking lot and a tiny store. Curious to know how this 28,000 sqft. store compares to the one on Shoreline. Small Safeways are horrible but the larger one on San Antonio is bearable. It seems like the Fresh and Easy was a small grocery store. Small store = less variety = less choice

FYI people, Safeway stores are tiered.

The Monta Loma store is probably going to be Tier 3.

How can you tell if a given Safeway store is Tier 1? Around here, if it has a better wine department, it's likely Tier 1.

Guys! We're filling a vacant space with another supermarket. This is what we've wanted forever. Stop whining! It's much better than nothing...and much better than a vacant building, an I right?! So Whole Foods and Trader Joe's didn't want to lease the space. We'll take Safeway and be happy to walk to get milk again!

Does anyone know if they will be taking over the vacant space next to the old Fresh & Easy (the space that was once rumored to be an Ace Hardware)? If so, it would be a significantly larger store than previous stores.

Also would've preferred Trader Joe's, yet far better than empty/nothing currently.
Certainly won't have the variety of items as Shoreline & El Camino locations, due to much smaller space (even assuming they'll take the never happened Ace Hardware adjoining space).
Parking will be a problem, given the crazed lot design [too many concrete islands, undulating lot surface] from center's makeover some years back (likely demanded by a city planner).
Also hope current adjacent occupants (starbucks, liquor store, laundry/dry cleaner, etc.) will have "protected" parking places in front of their locations.
Since I reside right across Middlefield Road, I am quite happy to see a grocery store again here.
Hope that TJ's will take over Walgreens location at Renstorff/Central Expry.
Cheers

chiming in to agree, Safeway is the pits and I'm disappointed it's not a Trader Joes'.

Welcome, Safeway! It's good to get another 'anchor' store in Monta Loma Plaza.

I hope that they put a pharmacy in at the new location, despite its small size. The Walgreens on Rengstorff which closed was very well-used by the community. In particular, it was important to the elderly community nearby, many of whom need a walkable location to get their medications.

Thanks Safeway! Looking forward to having a grocery store within walking distance again!
Don't mind the whiners, some people will complain that the sky is too blue.
Now we just need a good pizza place in that center and we're all set!

So we're going to have a Safeway on San Antonio, a Safeway on Rengstorff, and a Safeway on Shoreline.

I don't suppose we could have a Safeway on Whisman? I'd love for the Slater/North Whisman neighborhood to have a supermarket.

Hey Dave, you forgot the one on Miramonte (Blossom Valley neighborhood).

I agree it's much better to have a major grocer in that Fresh & Easy space than a vacant building, and glad Safeway stepped up to undertake it. (Those people complaining here about not having their first choice of fantasy retailer are still better off than they were with a vacant storefront.)

There is plenty of room for a safeway on the Slater property. Get a bunch of neighbourhood residents to become a safeway shareholders and propose it on their shareholder meeting.

What goes around comes around, this used to be Alpha Beta then it was Albertson when it closed in 2002. Last year Albertson bought Safeway.

We are happy that a well known market is going in to the vacant space. We like to walk to stores/restaurants and have lived here since the Alpa Beta and Albertson markets were there. Whole Foods has had issues with incorrect weights and recalls. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh & Easy have so many of their own brands which limits choices.
I agree with the poster from Slater, our side of Mountain View needs more good stores.
If you want to complain about parking, how about the lot in front of the San Antonio Safeway.
Just FYI for pizza, try Mountain Mike's in the Charleston Plaza. We've walked there too.

This is great news. According to some council members , we are not really a community unless we have all of the essential services in our community. Now that we have a grocery store I assume our community status will be reinstated.

boo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
Now instead of having an empty space, I have a stable grocery store opening up that will serve the surrounding community very well, but it's not my first choice of stores.
I always expect disappointment.

-Sad Old Mopey Me

I used the old Fresh & Easy occasionally as I am often in that area for a meeting. I may still use a Safeway, but I doubt if I would use a TJs or similar. I must be the only person in the area who can't stand TJs or Whole Foods.

Anyway, I digress. Feeding the ever increasing population of the Bay Area is going to continue to be a problem. We are very demanding of what we, ourselves, want and throw discern at anything that doesn't meet what we think is the best idea.

I think it is excellent that there will be a grocery store there again. If you like it you will be happy. If you would prefer something else, then it is likely you will still drive to get whatever it is you like about another place, but if you live very close, I expect you will still use it occasionally for staples or something you have run out of. Be happy with what you get because whatever it is it is better than nothing and if you can afford to be choosy, then you really are very fortunate.

@Me (Willowgate):

"There is plenty of room for a safeway on the Slater property. Get a bunch of neighbourhood residents to become a safeway shareholders and propose it on their shareholder meeting."

Safeway is no longer a publicly traded company. It is owned by private equity investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, purchased in late 2014 and merged with Albertsons by January 2015.

You can't become a shareholder. You could write a letter to Cerberus management but you aren't going to make any proposals at their shareholder meeting.

Re: "Let's see next what happens at the Ex-walgreens plaza..."

I don't expect much to happen there until the project to rebuild the Rengstorff crossing is complete. With the looming threat of imminent eminent domain, it seems unlikely that anyone would invest much in the current plaza.

A Sprouts Farmers Market instead. This location and building space is waaaay to small for a Safeway.

a cannabis dispensary. Then the patient/residents of MV could save time and gas plus they could give their own city all that tax revenue instead of San Jose.

A 24 hour grocer within walking distance? Sign me up! Count your blessings and let the whiners complain about first world problems.

Re: space. Word from the property owner is that Safeway is, indeed, taking over the extra empty space that was rumored to become and Ace Hardware, so it will be much larger than Fresh & Easy was. I expect the fact that our F&E was profitable had a lot to do with encouraging Safeway to move in.

Viability: The Monta Loma Fresh & Easy was one of the profitable locations. We went there at least 1/week, sometimes more often.

Expect the new Safeway to be responsive to the neighborhood in which it will be "nestled", we are a vocal bunch, and we will support a store with responsive management. Also, there are several other nearby neighborhoods with folks who will drop in.

The shopping center is on a corner where many folks pass by on their way to or from work, so that will be a boon, as lots of folks did not realize that Fresh & Easy was worth the visit, but will recognize the Safeway name.

As to parking: Even when F&E was in place, the parking lot was busy, but never completely full. It will also be nice to see delivery trucks instead of vagrants in the loading dock area.

For all you unhappy folks who moan the lack of parking at the San Antonio Safeway - look up! Oh, my, guess what? There's "rooftop" parking @ that Safeway! Indeed, there is a nice ramp taking you up, and two elevators there, with grocery carts you can take with you into the store. What a concept!

Safeway has good organic options for produce and other items.

My husband & I are looking forward to having a Safeway so close to home...Personally, we feel their produce, meat, bread, etc. are very good. Beautiful flowers, etc. This new store will also bring more business to the existing stores in the Monte Loma Shopping Center...

People forget how TINY the midtown Safeway is in Palo Alto. Take a look sometime... Not to mention the TINY Safeway off Sand Hill. And the TINY Safeway on Miramonte...

Excited to have a store walking distance again! And as awesome as whole foods is I'm glad it will be one that I can afford to shop at! Saw the sign as I was getting coffee and took a peak inside to see the construction, wow is it going to be big! Where did all that space come from? (Just kidding, I read other comments, apparently it had hopes of being an Ace Hardware.) Sucks people complain about anything they can, I'm stoked for when Safeway finally opens!

I was born and raised in mountain view. So I have been here my entire life, and my opinion is that Safeway has monopolized the area. Safeway is not as expensive as maybe Whole Foods, however it is on the pricier side. I agree that it would have been better to have opened a Trader Joe's, or even better, a Grocery Outlet. Why would we agree to a fourth Safeway in Mountain View? That doesn't even make sense. I would have preferred a variety, something else to choose from other than what is present Mountain View now. The other choices are Whole Foods, or sprouts which is even more expensive than Whole Foods.

Chances are this will be a Safeway Community Market just like the one Safeway has at the old Andronico's Market at Rancho. It is designed smaller, but is actually better since it focuses on grocery items and doesn't load the store with patio furniture or other non-food items that fill the larger Safeway locations.

Though I like TJ's, I find I use Safeway more often for the basic brands TJ's doesn't carry or not my favorites. (Dog won't eat TJ brands!)

I am just glad the building won't be empty for a while or open with another store that will only be open a few months. Seems like Palo Alto has had that problem with high-end, short-lived markets.

Does anybody know if the Safeway is open yet? I heard April 19.

@Gretchen

The sign still said "Coming Soon" this morning.

@Gretchen

The new Safeway is displaying a sign indicating that they are now hiring. And apparently they've told the other stores in the complex that they expect to open in late June.

The Safeway on Shoreline is understaffed! Very long lines in the evening!!
Very Frustrating! Trader Joes would have been better, but maybe this Safeway won't have such long lines!