Laguna Beach Gelson’s to close on Saturday

Gelson’s will close its South Laguna Beach location permanently at the end of business on Saturday, the supermarket chain has announced.

The announcement was made in a news release on Feb. 16. The Laguna Beach store is located at 30922 Coast Highway.

“The limited population of the area coupled with challenging economic headwinds for grocers in California has unfortunately made this decision necessary,” Gelson’s president and chief executive John Bagan said in a statement. “Despite an amazing and dedicated team, Laguna Beach has been unprofitable.”

The Gelson’s supermarket in South Laguna will permanently close at the end of business on Saturday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Approximately 40 employees work at the Laguna Beach store. Gelson’s intends to retain as many of those team members as possible at other locations, according to the release.

The nearest Gelson’s store for Laguna Beach residents will be the one located in Dana Point, at 24 Monarch Bay Plaza.

Signs notifying shoppers of a 50% off sale with the store closing kept the Laguna Beach Gelson’s busy on Monday afternoon, even on a rainy day.

The Gelson’s supermarket in South Laguna is closing on Saturday. A sale is being offered while supplies last.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

A line was building outside the entrance with staff attempting to limit the number of people inside, and products were flying off the shelves. Nearly all the meat was gone.

Convenience was a primary concern of residents who spoke about the store closure, citing difficulty in braving traffic to get around a town known to attract a lot of visitors. As for what residents hoped would come next at the location, a couple expressed a desire to have another grocery store .

Oysters for 99 cents were a highlight of the grand opening of Gelson’s in 2016.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)