Ralphs serves up fresh look

The rainy day couldn’t keep Ralphs away as the company’s La Cañada location opened its doors to customers Friday morning for the first time since Sept. 19.

The grocery store was closed for just over a month for an entire remodel. The supermarket now spans 37,255 square feet after workers tacked on an extra 10,921 square feet

La Cañada High students, Principal Jackie Luzak and Assistant Principal Aaron Dover crawled out of bed early to make Ralphs’ ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 a.m. Ralphs donated $5,000 to two of the high school’s programs.

Two $2,500 checks were presented to the Spartans music and culinary arts program. The school’s marching band turned out to perform for the event.

The store now features a new décor, upgraded departments and services, wider aisles and a fresh layout. Customers stand to save money with the store’s grand opening specials when they walk through the new self-check out stations, according to Ralphs officials.

“I’m excited to show off our newly remodeled La Cañada store,” stated store director Mark Heredia in a news release. “We’ve been working very hard the past several months to get the store ready for our customers. Now that the remodel is complete, we’re eager to serve the needs of our shoppers. It’s our goal to be the very best supermarket in the area.”

Green technology was also implemented during the renovation to improve energy efficiency. The store will now consume about 15% less energy than a typical store, company officials said.

The La Cañada Ralphs Fresh Fare’s remodel and expansion is just the latest change since it opened on Oct. 15, 1969. In 1998, the store underwent a major renovation that transformed it into a Fresh Fare store.

“We’ve improved every inch of our La Cañada Fresh Fare supermarket,” stated Mike Donnelly, president of Ralphs Supermarkets, in the news release.. “This major renovation is one of the many ways we thank our customers for shopping with us.”