To-the-Door Grocers : Markets Provide Home Delivery of Food Items

Whether you depend on the service regularly or just use it once in a while, a market that delivers can be worth its weight in groceries. Those in the Southland range widely in size, specialties and business policies.

The following information was compiled through interviews with each market but doesn’t tell the whole story. It would be best to visit the store you plan to use, and check the scope of items available, prices and the quality you can expect to receive. If it’s physically impossible to go to the market, place a minimum (or small) order that provides a sampling of fresh produce and meat, poultry or fish.

All of these markets stress personal service, but find out about their other specialties. Some pride themselves on their meats, others tout their fish or produce. Ask about items they carry exclusively. Prices vary, but don’t expect to find any discounting.

Also, to prevent any later misunderstandings, discuss with a person in authority:

--What delivery charge, if any, there will be to your exact address.

--Double check the hours and days of the week that telephone orders are accepted and how long it will take to receive the groceries once you’ve placed an order.

--Find out if the vehicle used to make the delivery is equipped with refrigeration. If not, will the groceries reach you quickly enough to still be in optimum condition?

--Arrange how payment will be made. Some stores accept nationally recognized credit cards or personal checks. Others invite in-house charge accounts and bill monthly.

Balboa Market--608 E. Balboa Blvd., Balboa, (714) 673-8310. Orders of any size and amount will be delivered without a service charge. Call from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and delivery can usually be made within two hours to anywhere in the harbor area.

Chalet Gourmet--7880 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 874-6301. A minimum $35 order is required for delivery. There’s no charge for local service, but one may be added as distance from the store increases. Orders may be placed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Delivery time depends on the size of the order and distance from the store--it may be as quick as 15 minutes for a delicatessen or liquor department order that’s transported within a mile radius.

Fireside Markets--1425 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (213) 451-5743. There’s no minimum amount on delivered orders, but all have a $3 service charge. Call from 9 to 11 a.m. for afternoon delivery anywhere in Santa Monica.

Howie’s Ranch Market--6580 N. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel, (818) 286-8871. The store will deliver orders of $25 and over, plus a $5 service charge, to all of San Marino and portions of Pasadena, San Gabriel and Arcadia. Orders placed before noon will be delivered the same day. There is no delivery service on Sundays or Wednesdays. (Howie’s Ranch Market in Sierra Madre does not offer delivery service.)

Huntington Market--900 Huntington Drive, San Marino, (818) 289-3562. Minimum $25 orders will be delivered within San Marino at no additional charge. The store adds a $4 charge for deliveries to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra and San Gabriel. Orders received by noon will be delivered by 4 p.m.

Jensen’s Finest Foods--102 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, (619) 325-8282, and 73601 Highway 111, Palm Desert, (619) 346-9393. There is a $10 delivery charge for orders up to $100. Orders of more than $100 are chaged 10%. Orders may be called in from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Delivery time depends on the order size and content but usually is made within two to three hours to anywhere in the greater Palm Springs and Palm Desert areas, respectively.

Jonathan’s--16950 Via de Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe, (619) 756-3726. No minimum purchase is required, but there is a $3 delivery charge on all orders. No delivery service is offered Wednesdays or Sundays. Orders received before 11 a.m. are guaranteed to be delivered by 3 p.m. in and around Rancho Santa Fe.

Jurgensen’s--601 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, (818) 792-3121; 409 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 274-8611; 1282 Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, (805) 969-2253. All three stores make two deliveries a day, Monday through Saturday, in their immediate vicinities. Orders taken before 9:30 a.m. can be delivered by 1 p.m. Orders taken from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be delivered by 6 p.m.

Purchase delivery cost for orders under $60 is $6; $60 to $100 is $8; over $100 is $10. Jurgensen’s charge customers are given a 10% discount for monthly purchases over $400.

The Beverly Hills delivery area includes Beverly Hills, Hollywood and most areas of the Westside. In addition, on Mondays and Fridays there is one afternoon delivery to Malibu and the San Fernando Valley (west to Woodland Hills, north to San Fernando and east to Burbank). Orders received by noon will be delivered by 6 p.m.

Delivery area for the Pasadena store includes the western region of the San Gabriel Valley. The Santa Barbara store delivers to the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas.

Owen’s Market--9769 W. Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles, (213) 553-8181. Delivered orders must total at least $10. In lieu of a service charge, the store has a dual-pricing system--one for an item purchased in the store, another if the item is delivered. Delivery is offered between Doheny Drive on the east, Mulholland Drive on the north, Interstate 405 on the west and the Cheviot Hills area on the south.

Premier Market--425 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 278-1222. A minimum order amount or a delivery charge is based upon a zone distance system. Orders may be placed from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for same-day delivery. Delivery time varies depending on the day and hour. Service is available between Crescent Heights Boulevard on the east, Mulholland Drive on the north, Olympic Boulevard on the south and Malibu on the west.