After a successful two-and-a-half-year run in Malibu, Vintage Grocers has just opened a second location.
The line stretched around the block Saturday afternoon for the grand opening of the new store, located in Westlake Village at the Promenade. The full-service grocery store replaces a Bristol Farms at the upscale, Rick Caruso-built shopping center.
Many Malibu locals came to show support and to get one of 500 goodie bags Vintage gave away to the first customers through the doors. Lenny Goldsmith and the New Old played music in the parking lot as the festive atmosphere that is a hallmark of the Malibu location swept through Westlake as well.
When Vintage Grocers took over Trancas Market, it was quickly embraced by the Malibu community for hosting free summer concerts and movies on the lawn. By bringing the community together and sponsoring local charities as well as the Malibu marathon and triathlon, the market was given a Dolphin Award this year for its community service.
Vintage Grocers was founded by Paige Laurie, the granddaughter of one of the founders of Walmart. When asked about starting her own successful business, Laurie told The Malibu Times, “It feels amazing and I’m beyond honored to jump from community to community, meet new friends and make our family bigger. The three amigos — Market Director Eric Fuchser, Linda Fuchser and Mary Carbonniere — are an amazing team. I’m so happy to have them be a part of my life and business. I can’t imagine doing this without them.”
Eric Fuchser, who has been working tirelessly in Westlake readying the store for its grand opening, said, “We’ve been truly blessed to serve the Malibu community the last two-and-a-half years. Our customers have turned into family and what we thought of as a small community market has turned into a member of the community. We could not be more grateful in how this amazing community has embraced us. We are ready to serve the Conejo Valley and could not be more excited to open our doors.”
Fuchser credited Vintage Grocers success when he said, “We invest time and effort in the community. Being small makes our retail experience different. We take care of our customers and take care of our employees. We serve the community — we embrace people.”
That sentiment was echoed by Carbonniere, who spoke about the excitement of opening the new location and support she feels from Malibu customers who showed up for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“It’s beautiful how much love we receive back.”
Because the new location is nearly three times the size of the Malibu store at close to 30,000 square feet, Vintage Grocers has added new vendors and offerings. This includes an olive bar, expanded cheese section and even a wine tasting room. A brand new pizza oven has been installed and even more, fresh, ready-to-eat food will be available, including poke, an expanded coffee bar with bakery and European style cold-pressed juices that will be made on the premises and served in glass bottles. The company will also focus on more catering, taking advantage of its bigger kitchen.
Susan Glocer, Vintage Grocers bookkeeper, said not only is the Westlake location bigger, but she said it’s “beautiful” as well. Glocer commented on the company’s success saying, “Business has been great. We do better year after year. We beat last year. Also, people love hanging out here. It’s like a party atmosphere.”
“It’s a great place to work,” she added.
Even before the Westlake store opened, Vintage Grocers started its community involvement by sponsoring Westlake High School and Oaks Christian football programs.
Look for a third Vintage Grocers location coming in 2018. The store has partnered again with developer Rick Caruso and Caruso Affiliated. The successful builder behind the Westlake Promenade, The Grove in Los Angeles, The Americana at Brand in Glendale, and shopping centers in Calabasas and other southern California locations is constructing a whole new shopping village in Pacific Palisades.
The Palisades Village is set to open in two years, replacing what locals have described as the old and tired Pacific Palisades village shopping area. Vintage Grocers is already in the works for an 11,000-square-foot location.
On a packed Friday afternoon at the original Trancas location, Ventura resident Steve Ericksson told The Malibu Times that he stops at the Malibu Vintage Grocers at least once a week while commuting between Ventura and Santa Monica.
“I like the vibes here. And the coffee.”