Sprouts Farmers Market plans to open its first Inglewood location on July 10 in the Morningside Park neighborhood, according to the grocer’s website.
Sprouts will take over the building at 8451 Crenshaw Blvd. that housed a 99 Cents Only store before the discount chain announced it was going out of business two years ago.
“It’s a great thing, bringing a grocery store back to the neighborhood,” said Kevin Gayles, an Inglewood local.
The nearest large grocery store to Sprouts is more than a mile away, though a few small markets and delis have helped to fill in the neighborhood gap.
Sprouts’ pending opening is part of a larger trend of rapid development in Inglewood, driven by the city’s sports venues. It also comes on the heels of Food 4 Less closing a store in the city earlier this year.
Sprouts did not return multiple requests for comment.
Mayor James Butts said in an email that Sprouts’ opening is unrelated to the Food 4 Less closure and that the grocers have different business models.
“Sprouts invested in a years-long vacant business property,” Butts wrote. “That is a good thing for the city.”
Kenny Garcia, who lives on the southern edge of the city, said he’s not happy about the future Sprouts is foreshadowing for the neighborhood.
“They’re changing a lot,” Garcia said.
Lauren Brazile, founder of the nonprofit We Grow LA, said Sprouts is known to sell higher quality food than Food 4 Less, but that she hopes the store keeps pricing competitive.
“I don’t think you should build anything in a neighborhood where the surrounding community has trouble affording whatever that is — especially if it’s something as necessary as food,” Brazile said.
The We Grow nonprofit network holds weekly grocery giveaways in Inglewood as well as South LA and Long Beach.
