Members of the Mammoth Town Council and other community leaders joined Vons executives last Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of the new and improved Mammoth Lakes Vons, a project that cost nearly $5 million.
After four months of construction, the upgraded Vons has a new look, more floor space to shop and new lines of products. Vons President, Lori Raya, was quoted in a Vons’ press release. She said, “You won’t find anything like it at any other store in our division.” The facelift is described as “rustic.” Raya said, “We wanted to capture Mammoth’s character as a mountain town while we made in-store improvements.”
By use of more than 3,000 square feet of space in the Vons-owned shopping area next to the store, the company was able to relocate the Starbucks and pharmacy, which also allowed for expanded offerings in the main store.
Vons officials said that in the store’s produce department customers will find a larger section of specialty vegetables, including a 16-foot “kale corner” featuring six different types of regular and organic kale.
The store also added two 12-foot glass display cases in the meat and seafood department, and now carries bread and other fresh baked goods from Schat’s Bakery, as well as coffee bean varieties from the Looney Bean Roasting Company.
Mammoth Mayor Rick Wood is quoted by Vons as saying, “Council recently prioritized economic development and the Vons remodel represents a catalyst for positive change in our community.” Wood also commended the grocery chain for taking what he called a comprehensive local approach to the project, while also adding 19 permanent positions to the store’s team.
In celebration of the store’s grand opening, Vons representatives presented the Mammoth Schools NOW Education Foundation with a $5,000 donation to support the public schools in the surrounding community.
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…as a certain idiosyncratic Vons cashier is fond of saying upon completion of checkout: “Thank you for shopping at Vons…your only choice.”
Exactly as predicted: Minor remodel that amounts to more or less zilch in terms of enhanced shopping experience. Oh yeah…and store-wide price increases, with drastically increased pricing on strategic staple items like the aforementioned kale.
Yeah, but it’s modern and it has 16 different kinds of kale. And fake windows on the front.
Gee, some people just look at the dark side of things.
(just joking SL)
There is a special place reserved in hell for Vons. It is worse than going to Bakersfield, and that place sucks. Why is the candy next to the cheese and the cheese next to the veggies. And the cereal in the diapers? The vegetarian selection has almost diminished and the prices have gone up. The parking lot is going to be hell when there is snow and ice and tourists driving Tahoes around. We really need that trader joes to come to Mammoth, one grocery store is killing me, and my wallet.
stater bros.would put vons right out of business
with the prices Von’s charges it should have been a 10 million dollar remodel.
Looks like I shook the Safeway trolls out of hiding. I’m sure they will convince many of you how great this “modern” store is and how much better your tomatoes will taste now that they cost more.
Style without function and then spend even more telling people how great it is and how unfortunate are those who think otherwise. The American way.
Nope, no Safeway troll here. I hate shopping at Vons as much as anyone. But, given they are the only game in town (ie. why bother to invest in attracting an already captive audience?) I’m happy they decided to try and make the store and an otherwise crappy-looking shopping center a bit nicer looking.
For the record — I don’t hate shopping at Vons. Having a full service market in Mammoth Lakes is a God send. I remember before Vons. There was a market about where RiteAid is today. Adequate for my needs then but nothing like Vons is today.
I just think that this particular remodel was typical of today’s “Business Experience” Not for humans mostly — just to please some abstract notion of design and what somebody. somewhere thinks will appeal to somebody who has all the perception of a mashed potato.
I just find such complete lack of humanity maximally irritating.
And about the pharmacy — tell me how good a shape you are in when you’ve injured yourself and need to get some pain pills or something to help you limp around the market to get some food for the next week or two while you heal.
I’ve done it — it won’t be nice in the winter when it’s snowing and you have a cart full of groceries. Your lack of foresight on this matter is right in line with the lack of foresight the remodeling architect exhibited .
I think it looks really Nice. There’s a lot of new products that I actually want to buy. Not having to go inside Vons when I just need an Rx is awesome. Cheer up everyone it’s just a grocery store.
The ONLY grocery store you mean – and one that has a monopoly on the town’s populace.
Bring Trader Joe’s or any lower cost market to Mammoth. It will save every family in this town money. Competition is a good thing for the consumer.
Check out this FB page: https://www.facebook.com/BringTraderJoesToMammothLakesOrBishop
Store and parking lot still a zoo, prices are silly…but it still beats living in the big city.
5 million dollars!
Sorry I hardly noticed a change
Are you blind?
It’s new but not better. People used to be able to drop off a perscription, shop and then pick up the prescription without leaving the store. Now it’s two rather long and awkward walks. Same with the Starbucks. Stupid move.
And they really have mostly the same stuff — it now just costs more.
Economic development? For who? Not me.
And does anyone really like kale?
And the shelves — can anyone read the prices on the bottom two or three shelves without kneeling down?
More stuff in smaller packages that cost more that nobody wants all organized to insure maximum confusion. No wonder our Mayor likes it.
How lazy/ out of shape are you? Its right next door[pharmacy]. Prices hard to read.?Time for new glasses. Vons in Mammoth has always been over priced,The meat will always suck because its the end of the delivery line from LA. Dont like the prices? Its called gouging.Its part of living in a tourist area.How bout them gas prices?Thats what we get for living ‘paradise’.right? Kale? That really bothers you?…I ,love Kale.
At least Its great to see that the Vons in Mammoth is finally a modern supermarket. On a side note, the prices in Kona Hawaii are cheaper than in Mammoth, gas included.
Oh Ken, we can always rely on you to find the dark cloud in the silver lining! What a wonderful ray of sunshine and positivity you always are. By your standard, no one should ever do anything positive, invest any money in this community, or ever try and make the town look just a tiny bit better. Grinchdom at its finest!
Yawn….
When is Trader Joe’s coming to town?