City’s grocery stores grow increasingly rare

From the Examiner today (their redesigned online version, for the record, now SUCKS, and they have not responded to requests for explanation about why they turned into a tabloid with very little local news)...

Imagine having to walk a mile just to get bread, meat and vegetables under the same roof.

In a city like San Francisco, it may seem unlikely, but neighbors in areas as diverse as the Excelsior, Noe Valley and Haight-Ashbury are worried that the possible exit of Cala Foods and Bell Markets from The City may mean just that.

Two of the 10 Cala and Bell stores in San Francisco — which are owned by Ralphs Grocery Co. — have already shuttered their doors. The property owners of the lot that houses the Haight Cala recently applied for a demolition permit, and city officials say the remaining seven stores are also poised to close.

Representatives at Kroger Co. and its subsidiary, Ralphs, did not return calls seeking comment, but several city officials confirmed that the multibillion-dollar retailer has been considering closing its San Francisco stores for some time.

But city officials hope that Ralphs’ departure does not mean the end of neighborhood supermarkets. Ralphs does not own any of the properties Cala and Bell stores sit on, and most owners seem open to leasing the space to another grocery store.

Nobody in the Haight or Cole Valley will be sad to see the poorly-managed Cala go away, but if it is not replaced (as has been rumored for quite some time) by a Mollie Stone's or other small, local grocer, those nearby residents will need to head out to 12th/Lincoln to Andronico's, to Fulton/Masonic to Albertson's (which is not doing well, either), or to the Safeway on Church/Market.