Sprouts Natural Market opens in Vista Village

By: ANNE RILEY-KATZ - Staff Writer | Thursday, September 15, 2005 8:24 PM PDT ∞

VISTA ---- Vista Village has a new, healthy addition to an already thriving list of tenants.

Sprouts Natural Market opened last week in the downtown retail and theater complex, in a new, 25,000-square-foot store on the south side of a building shared with Linens-n-Things.

Sprouts welcomed its first shoppers on Sept. 9, but is planning a grand opening for early October, store director Matt Poucher said.

The new store is nearly twice the size of Sprouts' former 14,000-square-foot location on East Vista Way, and Poucher said the store is already seeing an increase in customers ---- between 1,500 and 2,000 shoppers a day.

With the new, larger space, Sprouts has also expanded its offerings to include a full-service deli and salad bar, and representatives said they hope to appeal to a wider customer base.

"We wanted to move out of a niche market and put products out there for everyone," Poucher said. "We have a wide variety of shoppers, and can cater to a lot of different diet types ---- meat-eaters, vegetarian or gluten-free. Wheat-free is probably the new low carb, since that (trend) is pretty much over now."

Sprouts owner Norman Frazier said the new store's cost was nearly $2 million, which he described as standard for a market that features walls of custom-ordered freezers and refrigerators.

The new building was originally scheduled for completion by June, but construction was delayed by heavy winter rain.

Customers shopping Thursday said the store's prices were a big draw.

"The prices are great, and they have a nice selection of health-related things, like vitamins, teas and aloe juice," said Venetia West of Fallbrook, who was at the Vista store for the second time in two days.

The hottest items for customers shopping Thursday? Produce.

Poucher said the store's selection and low prices make fruits and vegetables the biggest sellers at Sprouts, with bananas leading the pack in sales, followed by melons and other fresh fruits.

Among the week's specials were red, yellow and green bell peppers, two for 88 cents, which some shoppers eyed hungrily.

"They're looking like fajitas tonight," said shopper Juliet Berger, as she selected several of the peppers.

Location was another reason locals filled the aisles.

"I'm thrilled, it's about five minutes from my house, and it's clean and nice," said Bebth Cummins of Vista. "We really needed something upscale like this in Vista."

Vista Village, the $80 million retail development in Vista's downtown area, has been open for nearly two years and is home to about 30 tenants, including Staples, Chili's Grill and Bar, El Callejon, Starbucks and Chipotle.

Next on the list for the center is an almost-completed 8,800-square-foot building that will house a Coldwell Banker residential real estate office and a to-be-named restaurant.

The real estate offices will occupy 6,000 square feet of the structure, while the restaurant, which will have outdoor patio space, will use the remaining 2,200 square feet.

Regency Centers, which joined with Civic Partners to invest $34 million in building and leasing the main plaza at the center, is spending more than $14 million on the second phase of Vista Village, including the new Sprouts and Linens-n-Things building.

Contact staff writer Anne Riley-Katz at (760) 631-6622 or ariley-katz@nctimes.com.

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