By Jondi Gumz
On Saturday, Nov. 9, New Leaf Community Markets will open a big new store at 1475 41st Ave., Capitola, and host a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. with samples and a chance to win gift cards.
Mike McCallum
The location in King’s Shopping Plaza, formerly Lucky, has been fully remodeled inside and out. In a hurry? Check out the self-checkout stands.
It’s two blocks from the previous location in Begonia Plaza that opened over 30 years ago, building a reputation to nourish and sustain the community.
The bigger space, with plenty of free parking, allows the grocer to offer more organic produce, more variety of natural wellness products, and new made-to-order food venue, upgrading ready-to-enjoy foods like BBQ, fresh sushi and a self-serve Poke Bar that was introduced at the New Leaf Aptos store this summer.
New Leaf is introducing reusable glass bottles for their house-made grab-and-go juices and smoothies available only at the new Capitola location.
Customers can return the branded bottles to the store to be washed, sanitized, and used again. As a thank you for reducing environmental impacts, New Leaf will offer a 50-cent redemption for each returned bottle.
“I am honored to serve this community and share what makes New Leaf special with our customers,” said Mike McCallum, store director for New Leaf Capitola. “Not only are we dedicated to fresh, organic food, we are rooted in our commitments to the community. Whether it’s the 10 cents we donate when you shop with a reusable bag, or hunger relief work through our local nonprofits, we are your neighborhood grocer.”
He added, “We have built a great team in Begonia Plaza over the years, and I am excited they will be moving to the new store to further grow in their roles. You’ll see many familiar faces at our new store as we celebrate several team members who have been with us for more than 20 years.”
New Leaf is teaming with Alfaro Family Vineyards & Winery of Watsonville to introduce a new Pinot Noir called The Village, a nod to the nearby historic Capitola Village.
Forrest Gonsiewski
More features:
- Hot & Cold Food Bars in the Food Service Department including nutritious house-made dishes, vegan & vegetarian offerings, and fresh organic ingredients
- An expanded made-to-order Coffee & Juice menu with long-time favorites like Sam’s Fire Water and locally roasted drip coffee
- Additional offerings for The Cookie, with Original and Milk Chocolate options plus the new Peanut Butter flavor, only at the new store
- Responsibly sourced Meat & Seafood departments with plenty of ready-to-cook options for grilling
- More products by local vendors, highlighting the vendor ‘s story and location.
- Organic seasonal fruits and veggies with freshly cut grab-and-go items in the Produce department
- Bulk food bins from local companies like SunRidge Farms
- Curated local craft beer and wines from Paso Robles and Santa Cruz Mountains with a broad selection of hard liquor and spirits
- Fully staffed registers to give customers choices.
- A Wellness section featuring conscious beauty products, a wide variety of supplements and natural health remedies, and functional beverages to support the health of mind, body, and soul.
“We are excited to better serve our Capitola community with a new, bigger store. Along with a larger assortment of organic local produce, more made-to-order food, a bigger wellness department and generally more to offer, our positive impact in this neighborhood will grow. We donate 10% of our after-tax profits to local nonprofits, and we are grateful for this community’s support of our mission to serve” said Forrest Gonsiewski, group vice president of New Leaf Community Markets. “I live in the Capitola community. My wife and I have raised our kids here, and I’m excited for our shared future here as well.”
Existing beneficiaries of New Leaf’s Envirotoken reusable bag program in Capitola will remain in place through spring 2025. These local nonprofit powerhouses include Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County, Grey Bears, Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, Santa Cruz SPCA, and Teen Kitchen Project.
The community is invited to a celebration 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, featuring:
- Free sampling throughout the store, with games, giveaways, and chances to win $250 New Leaf gift cards
- Locally printed custom New Leaf reusable tote bags for customers, while supplies last
- Interactive stations with local businesses like Palace Art Supply, Lakeside Organic Gardens, and S. Martinelli & Co. for adults and kids
- A chance to meet all six Envirotokens partners
- An in-store scavenger hunt for kids, with a free cookie upon completion
New Leaf Capitola, at the corner of 41st Ave and Capitola Road, boasts ample parking, and will offer pickup and delivery service on newleaf.com as well as on Instacart and DoorDash in the coming weeks.
New Leaf will again holiday reservations through Nov. 26 at www.newleaf.com/reserve, focusing will be on California-raised turkeys, house-made sides and platters, local pies, and sustainable seafood for November.
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Hours will be 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. See www.newleaf.com.