GARDEN GROVE : City Will Recruit Food Store Workers

Employees from the city’s Jobs Plus office are planning to set up a large job tent in October and assist Smith’s Food and Drug Centers in recruiting workers for its mid-November opening.

Officials said they expect up to 3,000 applicants vying for perhaps 100 openings. Some available positions include cashiers, checkers, baggers, seafood clerks, bakers and customer service clerks.

Job applications will be distributed Oct. 5-6 at the job tent outside the offices of the Garden Grove Employment Development Department, 12661 Hoover St.

Smith’s Food will be an 80,000-square-foot “superstore” on Harbor Boulevard south of Garden Grove Boulevard. A 25,000-square-foot building for another major retailer, yet to be selected, is also being developed at the site.

Smith’s will be the largest food and drug store in the city and the biggest single new business to come into the city in about five years, said Matthew Fertal, economic development manager. It is expected to bring about $400,000 in sales and property taxes to the city each year.

The city’s community development agency contributed $1.9 million to the Smith’s Food project in land transactions and $400,000 in street improvements.