By South OB Girl
As the OB Rag reported on Friday, May 19th, it’s been a long, slow saga for Apple Tree Market to reopen after the owner, Saad Hirmez, was forced out of the site where he had his first market (where the CVS is now at Cable and Santa Monica).
The new Apple Tree Market. All photos by South OB Girl
Monday May 22nd is the soft opening for the brand new Apple Tree.
We’ve all been watching the remodeling occur at 4978 Newport Avenue. And the community has been eagerly awaiting the opening of the grocery store.
Saturday evening I received an impromptu tour of the new market.
Saad and his younger brother Nah Hirmez have been working hard to prepare the store for opening. And their hard work has been paying off. Saad and Nah described the store to me as “new and improved.”
They proudly showed to me all of the features that will be a part of the store. People who knew the old Apple Tree will barely recognize what they see.
The store is a year behind in opening but in that year’s time span, the brothers have created a store that is going to impress and surprise many.
Everything is sparkling and new. There’s lots of variety. And gourmet options.
Rows of fancy coffees and gourmet sodas. Varieties of produce. Varieties of all kinds of groceries.
Milk, almond milk, and soy milk; yogurts as well as Greek yogurts. Fresh herbs.
There is a deli in the back of the store which will be preparing sandwiches. And not with run of the mill deli meats. Deitz & Watson meats and cheeses.
There will be Bread & Cie breads for sale in the store.
And “Smart Chicken” — 100% air-chilled and raised without the use of antibiotics, animal by-products, or growth stimulants.
There will be a machine that squeezes fresh orange juice, just like there is at Jensen’s. The extensive variety is quite impressive.
New wood floors, new shopping carts, new shelves, new lights, new deli, new check out stands, new refrigerators, and new display cases — everything is sparkling and new.
Parking for the store is directly adjacent to the store and in the parking lot behind the building.
While I was receiving the tour, many people stopped at the doors and looked in. They were all eager to know if the store was open. Or when it was going to open. They were all eager to go into the store and ready to browse and to shop.
It is clear that there will be crowds of people in the new Apple Tree as it opens for business.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
So happy to see them back again! It was worth the wait.
Looks like a major upgrade for the store fixtures and product offerings over the old Apple Tree.
Lets hope the “olden days” of expired food and bad attitudes is a thing of the past.
If so, I might actually shop there again.
I did not go there regularly, but the staff was always very nice.
Hours will be: 8 am – 9 pm. Potentially 10 pm, as they settle into being open for business. In my tour I was very impressed by the extent and quality of the selection.
Hours will be 8 am – 9 pm, Monday – Sunday.
Nice article Meredith. I’m stoked they are carrying organic, high quality products. Let’s all support this place and spread the word. BUT ORGANIC so they can continue these products and to encourage better farming practices. It all starts with our buying choices. Not to mention the health benefit. How many people would buy produce if it was honestly labeled “With Pesticides”.
Organic does not mean “Pesticide Free”.
Please educate yourself.
Not sure who this comment is directed towards. It is quite probable that there are officially organic selections (as yes Christo produce must follow certain specifications to be proclaimed organic). At the time of my tour Apple Tree did not have all of its produce selection yet. I will look into the officially organic options at Apple Tree. The “Smart Chicken” looks like a good, high quality option for non-vegetarians.
Additionally, not sure what options may be pesticide free. The owners and management of Apple Tree seem very eager to accommodate the community’s needs and wishes, and might be willing to carry certain products or brands.
It was towards Scott.
I am well aware of the qualifications of what it takes to be organic- and they are definitely more restrictive in what is allowed.
That being said- Organic does not mean “Pesticide Free”.
And yeah- I like what Apple Tree has done. I hope they will keep it up- as it appears to be a vast improvement over the prior model.
I’m so HAPPY that they have re-opened! No more driving a distance for us locals again. Their selection is a great start and it will obviously be tailored to how we buy in the coming months. I was a daily shopper when they were right across the street at their old location, and now they’re back only yards from the original location. I’ll be a daily shopper with them once again. Thank you everyone at the Apple Tree Market. and to all of the contractors that helped them get reopened! Also, thanks for re-hiring some of your old staff! Support your local markets by being their patrons. Welcome back!
Enjoying some of the comments I am hearing around the community… “never leaving OB again…” “never going hungry again…”… “wow it looks so nice…”… “great selection…”… “this is so nice to have a grocery store again in OB”… “going to try the deli out for sure.”… “the community needed this”… And from one individual who lives not far from Newport, “everything in a 3 block radius now — this is awesome.”
My first visit quick was today. Love the new store, convenient parking, interior is pleasant and you can get in and out with ease.
One suggestion, they need to have a website and/or printed menus for the deli so one call call ahead of time and order for pick up. Maybe add photos of the salads and sandwiches that are made to entice people to order. Maybe a few tables to eat outside might be a good addition.
Good luck and I hope this is a success for them.
Excellent suggestions Debbie. You should communicate these things to the store manager if you feel up to it — the owners and manager seem very eager to make the new store a success and open to hearing feedback from the community.