Grocery stores aren't as cool as bars. But what a difference a grocery makes. Neighborhoods that thrive – neighborhoods where people live – need grocery stores. Grocery stores may not be sexy, but they keep us alive. The opening last week of a Midtown Grocery Outlet selling fresh produce, prepared foods and many of the staples of the run-down convenience stores that dot the Grid, is a big deal to those of us who live here. The fact that their prices are roughly half that of the nearby Safeway is a significant bonus. For anyone who wants Sacramento’s Central City to thrive, the opening of the Grocery Outlet in the old grocery at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue is unalloyed good news. A c

A new Grocery Outlet opened Friday morning in a century-old building across from the Capitol Area East End Complex after the owners got a temporary permit. The market's opening at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue in Midtown was delayed by a day. An electrical inspection was performed Thursday, and a temporary permit allowing occupancy was then issued by the city, said co-owner Mindi Admire. "It was supposed to all be buttoned up Wednesday," she said while moving shopping carts outside the busy store at 1700 Capitol Avenue. A grocery store or market has operated in the building for about 100 years, according to local historian Bill Burg, who wrote about the location in his book, "Sacramen

When I wrote Sacramento: Then and Now I wanted to show some images that were missed in other local history books, but were immediately recognizable by people who lived in the neighborhoods portrayed. I chose the image of the grocery store at 17th and Capitol because it was just this sort of place: ordinary, but recognizable and essential. At the time, it was still Rick's Uptown Market--one of the hazards of a book titled "Then and Now" is that the date of publication immediately becomes a new "Then." The building is about 100 years old--I am pretty sure, but not positive, that it was constructed in about 1910. It was constructed as the Perkins and Company grocery store, selling food as we

A new Grocery Outlet is set to open Thursday in Midtown. Local residents and state workers seemed not to recognize the place when owners Mindi and Ken Admire offered a sneak peak during a ribbon-cutting celebration late Wednesday afternoon. A market-scene mural still marks the corner store at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue, where Rick's Uptown Market operated. But following a costly renovation, the 9,000-square-foot space is much more neighborhood market than convenience store. The sidewalk in front is lined with wooden produce bins holding tomatoes, avocados, onions and fruit. Cheeses, meats and more produce line back walls. A grab-and-go section in front offers pasta salad, sandwiches

A mom and pop Grocery Outlet is expected to open in Midtown this summer. An Orange County family is relocating to Sacramento to open a branch of the chain that calls itself the country's largest "extreme-value" grocery retailer. The store is expected to open July 1 in the former Rick's Uptown Market at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue. Mindi and Ken Admire want to set their store apart from other Grocery Outlets by operating a family-friendly business and really getting to know their customers. Their children, Kristina and Kenneth, a recent college graduate, will be an integral part of that. "We hope that we stand out as a different model in that we're going to be completely family-orient

West Sacramento launched a "Shop Local" program Friday to encourage people living and working in the city to rethink their spending habits. For years, residents had to cross the river into Sacramento for a lot of their shopping because there were so few choices closer to home. But many new businesses, including large national retailers and new restaurants, have sprouted up in the last five years. During the recession, dining and buying goods and services locally is a "critical" way to support the community, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said during a press conference. He joined other city and business leaders outside the Nugget Market in Southport Town Center to announce the