Antioch Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Marcus Woodland will be honored next month. Photo: City of Antioch
Marcus Woodland to be honored as Exemplary Operations Supervisor
By Jaden Baird, PIO, City of Antioch
ANTIOCH, CA — The City of Antioch announces that Marcus Woodland, Superintendent of the Antioch Water Treatment Plant (WTP), has been selected by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) to receive the Exemplary Operations Supervisor Award. He will be formally recognized at the Water of the West Conference in San Diego this April.
The award recognizes outstanding leadership, operational excellence, and dedication to public health in water utility operations.
Woodland’s leadership was instrumental during the construction and startup of Antioch’s Brackish Water Desalination Project. Throughout complex upgrades and plant shutdowns, he ensured strict compliance with public health standards, requiring proper disinfection and bacteriological testing before treatment processes were returned to service. His attention to detail and insistence on operational readiness protected both system reliability and water quality for the community.
In one instance, Woodland directed a shutdown and inspection after plant staff noticed abnormal filter flow readings following construction work. A foreign object was discovered lodged in a flow meter, an issue that could have caused long-term performance problems and potential public health concerns if not corrected. His leadership ensured the issue was resolved before the system resumed operation.
Woodland also led improvements that strengthened long-term plant maintenance and reliability. His team implemented design changes to the membrane clean-in-place system to allow multiple tanks to operate simultaneously and accelerated critical repairs to sedimentation basin equipment at Plant B to ensure full treatment capacity during renovations at Plant A.
In addition to operational leadership, Woodland played a key role in hiring, training, and mentoring operators as the facility expanded to include reverse osmosis treatment systems. He worked closely with staff and equipment vendors to ensure operators fully understood new processes and equipment, often requiring additional training to ensure the highest operational standards.
During a complex raw water pipeline tie-in that required the shutdown of both of the City’s treatment plants, Woodland coordinated extensive preparation, including operational testing, distribution system planning, and collaboration with neighboring agencies to secure backup water supplies. His oversight and planning allowed the City to maintain service despite an outage that extended well beyond the planned timeline.
Woodland stepped into the role of WTP Superintendent during the height of the desalination project’s construction—his first appointment as a full-time permanent superintendent. His leadership during this challenging period was widely regarded as a key factor in the project’s successful completion.
“Marcus Woodland’s recognition by the CA-NV AWWA reflects his outstanding leadership and technical expertise,” said Scott Buenting, Director of Public Works. “Marcus has played a pivotal role during the complex construction and startup of the Brackish Water Desalination Project. The success of our Water Treatment Plant is a direct result of his commitment to operational excellence and to providing safe, reliable drinking water to our community. We are proud to see his dedication recognized at the state level.”
The American Water Works Association is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to improving water quality and supply through education, standards development, and professional recognition of water professionals. The Exemplary Operations Supervisor Award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in water utility operations and a strong commitment to public service.
Woodland’s recognition highlights the City of Antioch’s continued commitment to protecting public health and investing in reliable, high-quality water infrastructure.
Allison Norris (Herald file photo) and Joanne Bilbo (photo courtesy of Antioch Sports Legends) will be honored as Antioch’s 2025 Citizens of the Year at the annual Chamber Gala & Dinner on March 27th.
Antioch Chamber of Commerce announces other community award winnersincluding Businesses, Non-Profit, Youth and Veterans of the Year
To be honored at 2026 Gala & Awards Dinner
By Allen D. Payton
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce has announced Allison Norris and Joanne Bilbo as the 2025 Antioch Citizens of the Year as well as other winners of the annual community awards. Honorees will be celebrated at the 2026 Gala & Awards Dinner, Friday, March 27th.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2025
Most Impact 2025
Allison Norris
Lifetime Achievement
Joanne Bilbo
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2025
Small Business
Almost There Travel Agency
Large Corporation
US Bank
NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR 2025
SHARE Community – Homelessness Resources
YOUTH OF THE YEAR 2025
Amanda Brown – Deer Valley High School
ANTIOCH LIFETIME VETERAN OF THE YEAR 2025-2026
U.S. Army Veteran Bob Franchetto
ANTIOCH VETERAN OF THE YEAR 2025-2026
U.S. Army Veteran Ricky Diaz
The Veterans of the Year winners were announced, previously, during the Antioch Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11, 2025.
Annual Gala & Awards Dinner
The Annual Gala will include the Awards Ceremony, Silent Auction, Golden Tickets, 50/50 Raffle, No-host bar, Music by DJ GBaby and Dinner Buffet:
Fresh baked garlic rolls & garlic butter
Italian green salad with vinaigrette
Lone Tree Caesar salad with marinated tomatoes, croutons & shaved parmesan cheese
Proposed Plan for housing, transportation, the economy and environment in the nine counties will go to committee for review on Friday, March 13
Offers strategies, investments and outcomes for Contra Costa County
By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Leslie Lara-Enríquez Assistant Director, Public Engagement, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range plan to guide growth and investment across the region’s nine counties and 101 cities. The plan seeks to advance an integrated vision for a Bay Area that is affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant for all by 2050. It focuses on the four areas of housing, transportation, the economy and environment.
The Contra Costa Centre Transit Village. Photo credit: Karl Nielsen
The plan and its related reports will be presented for review and consideration at a joint meeting of the MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee on Friday, March 13, before the documents are referred to their respective approving bodies. The ABAG Executive Board will consider certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the final plan at its March 19 meeting. At its March 25 meeting, MTC will consider certifying the Final EIR and adopting the final plan, as well as adopting the accompanying Air Quality Conformity Analysis and an amendment to the 2025 Transportation Improvement Program.
The release of the proposed final Plan Bay Area 2050+ follows a 59-day public comment period for the Draft Plan and the Draft EIR that closed on December 18, 2025. The proposed final plan and Final EIR have been updated to reflect feedback received during the public comment period.
The map above shows Contra Costa County’s Growth Geographies, which are areas identified in Plan Bay Area 2050+ to help guide future housing and job growth. These areas are designated by local jurisdictions or based on their proximity to transit and access to opportunity. Source: MTG/ABAG
The Plan includes Partner Resources: Regional Tools for Local Action that local jurisdictions and partner agencies can use to develop plans, seek funding and take action to make a better Bay Area. It offers a fact sheet for each county, including Contra Costa, which spotlights strategies, investments and outcomes.
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range regional plan for the nine-county Bay Area. The plan lays out a series of funding and policy strategies that can create a more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant future for all Bay Area residents in 2050. Unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, which culminated in the first-of-its-kind plan to re-envision the future of Bay Area public transit, in partnership with transit agencies across the region.
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance will require developers to privately-subsidize housing bysetting aside 15% of new units for low-income buyers/residents or pay a $200K per unit fee
Will also establish affordable Inclusionary Housing Trust Fund requiring more City staff
Building Industry says ordinance not state required, will have opposite effect
“The higher the inclusionary requirement, the fewer market-rate homes are constructed” – UC Berkeley, UCLA joint study
Participants might not be allowed to keep increase in equity, but share it with City instead
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the Antioch City Council will require new home developers to set aside 15% of housing units for Very Low-Income, Low-Income, and Moderate Income households. Although it’s not required by the state and opposed by the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area, on February 4, 2026, the Planning Commission voted 4-0, with two members absent, to recommend the City Council adopt an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO). The IHO would apply to both single-family homes and both for rent and for sale multi-family projects.
Antioch would be only the eighth city out of 19 to approve such an ordinance.
Program Participants Might Not Get to Keep Equity Growth or Must Share it With City
The lower-income homebuyers who would participate in and benefit by the program would be able to purchase the same home as their neighbors but at a much lower price. Yet, when they sell the home, they might only be allowed to keep the amount of their original downpayment but not receive any of the increase in equity as the home must be resold to another buyer who qualifies, whenever the sale occurs “in perpetuity”. The other option would be the seller would have to share the increase in equity with the City.
Section 3.3 DISPOSITION REQUIREMENTS of the Financial Feasibility Analysis for the ordinance reads:
“An inclusionary ordinance will likely require that households purchasing an affordable unit qualify based
on income and that the sales price qualify as affordable to that household. The program will also have to identify what restriction, if any, will be applied to future resales of these affordable units. Different state and federal programs have different requirements.
We recommend that the city’s ordinance restrict future resales so that the purchasing household also be income-qualified and the sales price represents an affordable housing payment for the purchasing household. We further recommend that this restriction be enforced by a deed restriction for a period of 45 years. This would be consistent with some federal affordable housing programs, but it is worth noting that it is unlikely that federal funding would be involved with mixed-income inclusionary housing projects.
As an alternative, Antioch could consider using provisions similar to the State Density Bonus Law. The original purchaser would still have to be income-qualified and the sales price would have to be qualified as affordable to the purchasing household. The purchasing household would not be restricted from selling the property in the future at then market-rates or to selling to households that are not qualified as low income. However, there would be an equity sharing agreement, and the city would receive the amount of the original sales price write-down and a proportional share of any appreciation in value. Antioch could then use its share of the sales price to support other affordable housing projects and programs.”
However, the proposed ordinance in Section 9-5.4308 – Ongoing Affordability and Occupancy reads, “A. Ongoing Affordability of For-Sale Units. In order to maintain the availability of For-Sale Inclusionary Units constructed pursuant to this Article, the affordable sales prices of for-sale Inclusionary Units shall be restricted in perpetuity, and reset upon resale of the unit(s), as documented through an Inclusionary Housing Agreement, as prescribed in Section 9-5.4305.F, recorded against the property.”
Program Details, Previous Findings Stated Antioch IHO “Not Warranted…Not Reasonable”
According to the City staff report for the agenda item, #8, an IHO is a zoning tool that requires developers to allocate a percentage of housing units in market-rate developments as “affordable”, or below-market rate (BMR) units. Many HOs include the option of paying a fee (“in-lieu” fee) rather than building the required affordable units onsite.
Inclusionary ordinances require that a specific percentage of units in market-rate development projects be offered at below market rates, typically to Very Low-Income (VLI), Low-Income (LI), and Moderate Income (MI) households (see below for definitions). These percentages are known as inclusionary requirements.
Developers would be given the option to instead pay an in-lieu fee, which is proposed at $202,500 per unit, and the City would collect the fees and be deposited into an Inclusionary Housing Trust Fund (IHTF) to be used for affordable housing purposes. The purpose of the IHTF is to assist in the creation and preservation of affordable housing in the City of Antioch for the benefit of extremely low, very low, low and moderate-income households.
The staff report also explained that Antioch has considered adopting an IHO since approximately 2009. Past City leadership concluded that market rate housing in Antioch was already adequately affordable. In 2016, the Contra Costa Grand Jury released a report titled Where Will We Live: The Affordable Housing Waiting List Is Closed. The report recommended that Antioch should consider adopting an IHO. The City responded to this recommendation on August 9, 2016, stating that the City, assuming 2000-2009 home values, “already provides a diversity of housing options and is accessible to households of all income levels…” Therefore, an IHO was “not warranted and is not reasonable.”
IHO Income Levels
The Area Median Income (AMI) per household in Contra Costa County is $159,800. The three categories of affordable housing typically accommodated in IHOs are:
Very Low-Income (VLI) Housing. Units affordable to households earning 0-50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Low-Income (LI) Housing. Units affordable to households earning 51-80% of AMI.
Moderate Income (MI) Housing. Units affordable to households earning 80-120% of AMI.
The State also recognizes Above-Moderate Income Housing, which are units affordable to households earning more than 120% of AMI. However, this affordability level is not provided for in IHOs.
Proposed Ordinance Applies Citywide Including New Sand Creek Area Subdivisions
The proposed City of Antioch Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is composed of the following basic regulations:
Applicable Geography. The proposed IHO requirements apply to Residential Development Projects citywide.
Affordability Term. The proposed IHO requires all BMR units to be affordable in perpetuity.
Threshold Project Size. The proposed IHO requirements apply to all Residential Development Projects consisting of five or more units.
Income and Affordability Requirements. As proposed, 15 percent of all new Residential Development Projects shall be affordable to VLI and LI incomes.
Specifically:
Ten percent of the BMR units shall be affordable to VLI households.
Five percent of the BMR units shall be affordable to LI households.
The first BMR unit shall be affordable to VLI households, the second unit shall be affordable to LI households, and so forth for all the BMR units in the project.
Affordability Standards. The proposed IHO includes standards to ensure that affordable units are of the same quality as Market Rate Units. Per the IHO, all affordable units shall:
Be built in the same proportion as the Market Rate Units.
Have an average square footage of at least 90 percent of Market Rate Units with the same bedroom count.
Be developed with the same bedroom count ratio as the Market Rate Units.
Have the same quality of exterior design and overall quality of construction as the Market Rate Units.
Have the same quality and type of interior finishes and features as the Market Rate Units.
Meet all site, design, and construction standards included in the City’s Building Regulations, Planning and Zoning.
Only seven other cities out of 19 in the county, plus, the County have IHO’s. Source: City of Antioch
Planning Commission Recommendations
During the Feb. 4th Planning Commission meeting one member of the public opposed the IHO with six members of the public representing coalitions of housing advocates spoke in favor. A letter in support was submitted by Joey Flegel-Mishlove, East Bay Housing Organizations, on behalf of California Center for Movement Legal Services, Contra Costa Budget Justice Coalition, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, East Bay Housing Organizations, Ensuring Opportunity Campaign to End Poverty in Contra Costa County, Hope Solutions, Lift Up Contra Costa County, Monument Impact, Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition, Public Advocates, Rising Juntos and United Latino Voices of Contra Costa County. They wanted to set “the IHO’s overall inclusionary rate at 20%.”
The Commission provided recommendations and requested that the City Attorney review them prior to the City Council reviewing the IHO including:
That the housing units created with the IHTF shall be prioritized for residents of Antioch.
However, the City Attorney responded, “the City of Antioch generally cannot lawfully adopt a broad resident-priority rule for assistance funded by inclusionary in-lieu fees, particularly for homebuyer subsidies. California law strongly protects statewide housing objectives and fair housing principles, and such a preference would likely conflict with those goals.”
That the IHO and IHTF gives preference to local unions.
But the City Attorney responded, “the City of Antioch cannot lawfully require private developers to give priority to union labor over non-union contractors on inclusionary housing projects. Such a requirement would first be preempted by federal law under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which governs private-sector labor relations and occupies the field to the exclusion of most local regulation.”
Developers’ Share Concerns
According to the staff report, during a December 2024 workshop, local housing developers “stressed that the difficulty of qualifying for home loans may impede the function of an IHO. Per participants, lower income households in Contra Costa typically face severe economic barriers to mortgage qualification, including an adequate down payment. As such, requiring the construction of for-sale units for very low-income or low-income households may be an unproductive path toward privately subsidized affordable housing.”
Building Industry Says IHO’s Aren’t State Required, Don’t Work, Benefits “Lucky” Few
In a letter to the council members and commissioners for the study session during the Planning Commission meeting on April 16, 2025, the Eastern Division of the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area submitted a letter opposing the ordinance saying they aren’t required by the state and they don’t work, making the cost to build the market rate housing to high.
The letter reads, “the California Housing & Community Development staff informs us that no jurisdiction is required to study the feasibility of an inclusionary ordinance or adopt such a program as part of the housing element review process.”
The BIA letter also includes a policy brief published in 2019 and updated in 2021by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University which “found that none of the six major studies of inclusionary programs show that they increase the housing supply or lower prices. Instead, much of the research comes to the opposite conclusion: Except for a very small number of people lucky enough to secure one of the affordable units, inclusionary programs cause overall housing prices and rents to rise, further reducing affordability for everyone else.”
“‘Relying on new housing construction to provide subsidized units is not a strategy that can lead to more housing that’s affordable for more people,’ wrote research fellow Emily Hamilton. ‘In cases where inclusionary zoning raises house prices generally, the costs of the policy fall hardest on the lowest-income.’”
An IHO “improves housing affordability for a few at the risk of worsening affordability for many, and it taxes precisely the activity needed to ameliorate the housing shortage and bring down rents: development.”
The BIA letter also states, “a 15 percent inclusionary requirement is infeasible for all single-family large lot developments and only partially feasible for single-family small lot and townhome developments. On the rental side, only high-density multifamily projects are fully feasible for very low, low and moderate income households. The market for very dense rental housing in Antioch is limited, at best. Overall, adopting a 10 or 15 percent inclusionary requirement will result in fewer homes being built in Antioch.”
The BIA requests City “staff to work with the development industry on alternative incentive-based approaches.”
Local Real Estate Broker Says IHO “Unnecessary”, “Built on…Fundamentally Socialist Ideology…Failed Model”
In a letter to the Commission, local real estate broker, Mark Jordan wrote, “an inclusionary housing ordinance is unnecessary, unsupported by current case law, and of questionable constitutional validity. Adoption of this ordinance would expose the City to avoidable legal and financial risk.” His letter cited a successful lawsuit against City of East Palo Alto and as a result, “significantly modified its inclusionary housing ordinance” and possibly paid the man who sued that city.
In a previous email to the City Council dated Sept. 15, 2025, Jordan wrote, “Though rarely stated outright, the lnclusionary Housing Ordinance is built on a fundamentally socialist ideology-one that demands others pay the price for systemic outcomes beyond their control. But socialism, like Marxism, is a failed model. It doesn’t uplift communities; it burdens them and eventually collapses under its own weight.
“If life hasn’t turned out the way we want, the answer isn’t to demand others pay the price. The answer is to adapt, to work harder, to upskill, to disengage from distractions-and to pursue our own happiness through self-reliance.
“In closing, I urge you to table this ordinance. It is ill-timed, legally risky, economically unwise, and ideologically misguided.”
Antioch Housing Already Affordable, Hundreds of Units Already Approved or in Approval Process
The City is already meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requirements for very low- and low-income housing. A total of 1,248 new housing units are required in those categories. Yet, as previously reported, over 2,000 apartment units have either been or can be approved by staff through the 10 Commercial Infill Housing Overlay Districts about by the City Council in 2022, many of which will be affordable, including in the extremely-low, very-low and low-income housing categories.
In addition, according to Redfin.com, “The housing market in Antioch, CA, is currently competitive, with homes selling for a median price of $603K. The market is somewhat competitive, with homes selling in about 40 days on average. The median sale price per square foot is $306, down 3.2% since last year. In December 2025, Antioch home prices were down 1.2%.”
Finally, according to Realtor.com, “The housing market in Contra Costa County, CA, presents a range of home values and prices. As of February 2026, the median price for a single-family home is $780,000, with a median AVM value of $801,000 for properties sold in the last year.” According to RocketMortgage.com, AVM value is “an estimated property value generated by an Automated Valuation Model using algorithms and real estate data.”
Questions for Mayor, Council Members
An email was sent to the mayor and four council members Monday afternoon, asking questions about the ordinance:
They were asked, “since it’s not required by state law why do you feel an IHO is necessary in Antioch, since our city is already going to have at least five if not 10 more affordable housing apartment complexes as part of the Commercial Infill Housing Overlay Districts?”
They were also asked, “why does the proposed ordinance apply citywide and therefore include the remaining Sand Creek Focus Area developments that have yet to be approved, when those homes have long been intended to be the more upscale, higher priced homes for that end of our housing mix?”
Finally, they were asked, “why use this option to achieve the RHNA requirements when Antioch homes are less expensive than the average throughout the county?”
No responses were received to the email and further efforts to contact each of the council members were unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Council Meeting Details
The Council meeting begins with a Closed Session at 4:30 p.m. for a Conference with legal counsel regarding “significant exposure to litigation.”
That will be followed at 5:00 p.m. for a Special Meeting/Study Session on the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and an update on the Code Enforcement Division’s progress and operations.
The regular meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. The latter two meetings will be held in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street, or can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast cable TV channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99.
Antioch Police Lt. John Fortner has retired. Photos: Antioch PD
Began career with Sheriff’s Office, then with APD as volunteer Reserve Officer in 2000
By Antioch Police Department
After 25 years of dedicated service in law enforcement, Lieutenant John Fortner has officially retired.
John began his career with the City of Antioch Police Department on August 20, 2001. Prior to joining APD, he served with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office at the Martinez Detention Facility and also volunteered his time as an Antioch Police Reserve Officer beginning in January 2000.
Before entering law enforcement, John proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1990–1998, receiving an Honorable Discharge.
During his career with APD, Lieutenant Fortner served in numerous roles including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, SWAT Team Member and Team Leader, Special Response Unit member, and Detective in the Violent Crimes Unit. He also served as both a Department Firearms Instructor and SWAT Instructor, helping train and mentor the next generation of officers.
John supported and supervised several important programs throughout his career, including the Reserve Officer Program, SWAT proactive patrol operations, the Explorer Post, Special Events, and community initiatives such as the Northern California Special Olympics Torch Run and Tip-a-Cop events.
His dedication and service were recognized with both the Medal of Valor and the Meritorious Service Award.
Thank you, John, for 25 years of commitment, leadership, and service to the Antioch community.
Please join us in congratulating him and wishing him a long, healthy, and well-deserved retirement!
Include Assessor, Auditor-Controller and County Superintendent of Schools
By Allen D. Payton
Because the incumbent didn’t file to run for re-election in the June 2nd primary by Friday, March 6, the filing period has been extended five business days in three county-wide offices.
According to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office Elections Division the deadline for filing nomination documents has been extended (to non-incumbents only) to March 11, 2026, for the following County offices: Assessor, Auditor-Controller and County Superintendent of Schools.
Local military veterans’ leader, J.R. Wilson enters the Grocery Outlet store on Buchanan Road in Antioch, Saturday, March 7, 2026. Photo by Allen D. Payton
Company announced this week underperforming stores will close this year
By Allen D. Payton
Emeryville-based Grocery Outlet announced this week that they plan to close 36 of their 536 stores across the United States this year. Nineof the stores are located in California. However, it was learned Friday, that the Antioch store is not on the list.
Net sales for the year increased by 7.3% to $4.69 billion, gross profit increased 7.4% versus 2024 to $1.42 billion and gross margin was 30.3% compared to 30.2% in 2024. But the company’s operating loss was $221.7 million and net loss was $224.9 million compared to net income of $39.5 million, in 2024. Adjusted net income was $75.2 million compared to $76.3 million the previous year.
“We made progress on our strategic priorities in 2025; however, our fourth-quarter results made clear that we have more work to do, and we’re moving quickly,” said Jason Potter, President and CEO of Grocery Outlet. “Consumer pressure intensified, federally funded benefits were delayed, and competition grew more promotional in the fourth quarter. In response, we have begun to sharpen our focus on what matters most: delivering clearer value and a better in-store experience. We’re intensely focused on restoring the opportunistic mix to rebuild value perception with the customer and advancing our store refresh program, and we’re already seeing early, measurable improvements. At the same time, we’re closing underperforming stores, reshaping our new store growth strategy and reallocating resources to strengthen operating results and returns on capital. We are confident that we have identified the core challenges and now have the right plans in place and the right team to execute them.”
Optimization Plan and Restructuring Plan
As a result, the company announced those plans as follows:
“To strengthen long-term profitability and cash flow generation, improve operational execution, optimize our existing store footprint and align with our disciplined new store growth strategy, in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 we conducted a strategic, financial and operational analysis of our store fleet. Following that review, on March 2, 2026, our Board of Directors adopted the Optimization Plan that provides for the closure of 36 financially underperforming stores, including the termination or sublease of the applicable store leases, the termination or sublease of a lease for a distribution center facility that we are no longer utilizing, and the termination of operator agreements with independent operators (‘IOs’) for the applicable store locations as well as certain other store locations. These actions under the Optimization Plan are expected to be substantially completed during fiscal 2026.”
Grocery Outlet Partners with Independent Owner/Operators
According to the company’s website, “Since 1973, Grocery Outlet has partnered with retail leaders to operate their expanding locations. Our Independent Operators have considerable local-decision making autonomy over store operations including hiring, merchandising, marketing and more. You hire, train, and lead your team, doing what you do best, and then we share the profits of your retail store according to our commission structure. We each assume different risks but share the rewards.
“We support our Independent Operators with training, mentorship, marketing, finance and accounting professionals to assist with any questions or issues that come up.”
Antioch Store on Buchanan Road Not Closing
Kyle Noble, Grocery Outlet’s Senior Director of Marketing was asked if it is correct that stores in California are closing and if so, whether or not Antioch is included.
He was also asked since no list has apparently yet been publicly provided, when it will be, how long will the current owner/operators be given to prepare for their closures or if they have already been informed. Noble did not respond before publication time.
However, a store employee, who chose not to be identified, informed the Herald on Friday that the Antioch store located on Buchanan Road will not be closing.
Open since Nov. 12, 2015, the current owner/operators are Fadi Fayad and Kelly Talaie.
According to a report on Patch, the nine California stores to close are in Azusa, Brawley, El Cajon, Kerman (near San Jose), La Habra, Ontario, Patterson, Poway and Ridgecrest.
24 Stores to Close on East Coast
According to a KRON4 news report, “While no announcement has been made as to which stores will close…According to a report in the grocery industry trade publication, Grocery Drive, 24 of the stores set to close are on the East Coast.”
The company “currently operates around 17 stores in the Bay Area” and “more than half of Grocery Outlet stores are in California,” according to the report.
About Grocery Outlet:
Based in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet is a growth-oriented extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold primarily through a network of independently operated stores. Grocery Outlet and its subsidiaries have more than 560 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
