Smart & Final is opening its first store in San Diego County this week at the site of a former Haggen store.
The chain plans 10 more new locations across San Diego. In total, there will be 27 Smart & Final stores in the county.
On Tuesday, the store had a grand opening at its Carlsbad location in the 900 block of Carlsbad Village Drive. The store is more than 25,000 square feet and will offer produce, organic food products and deli and meat sections.
In addition, 50 new jobs will be available as part of the store’s opening.
Smart & Final acquired a number of Haggen stores after the latter grocery chain filed for bankruptcy last year and announced it was departing from California.
Smart & Final is also opening up in Chula Vista on East H Street, Coronado on B Avenue, El Cajon on Camino Canada and Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa on Avocado Avenue, Tierrasanta on Tierrasanta Boulevard, Mira Mesa on Westview Parkway, San Diego on University Avenue, Santee on Magnolia Avenue and San Ysidro on W. San Ysidro Boulevard.
Company officials say they will have all 11 stores opened in San Diego by June 2016.
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A shopper on Tuesday told NBC 7 she liked the selection at Smart & Final and that it seemed cheaper than Haggen.
“I heard that (Haggen) was a pricey store, so I avoided it,” Kathy Blair said. “When it was Albertsons prior to that, I had been here quite a few times.”
