California-based chain has stores in Pasco, Kennewick

A

third Grocery Outlet store is coming to the Tri-Cities, putting a “bargain

market” in each of the three cities. The latest will be in the Queensgate area

of Richland, next door to Party City near Target.

Richland

is reviewing a permit for the proposed project at 2901 Queensgate Drive in

Vintner Square.

Representatives

with Grocery Outlet said the exact address is pending but expect to open a

store there in mid- to late 2020.

The

permit lists an 18,000-square-foot building valued at $1.65 million.

A spokesperson for Grocery Outlet said most stores range in size from 10,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet. The Richland shop would be similar in size to the 18,000-square-foot Grocery Outlet on North Road 68 in Pasco that opened in August 2018, but smaller than the one on West Fourth Avenue in Kennewick. A Grocery Outlet opened in Sunnyside in February.

The

project is spearheaded by Browman Development Co. of California.

When

asked about the likely number of employees planned for the location, a

representative with the public relations firm hired by the store said, “Grocery

Outlet stores are independently owned and operated and hire residents from

within the local community. Typically, owner-operators hire 25 to 35 employees

from the community.”

The opening of the Pasco store brought about 30 new jobs along with it. Its grand opening included giveaways.

There

are more than 300 Grocery Outlet stores across Washington, California, Oregon,

Idaho, Nevada and Pennsylvania. The company boasts 1.5 million shoppers

weekly, calling itself the “nation’s largest extreme value retailer.”

Grocery

Outlet stores are not operated like a typical grocery store. They have highly

fluctuating inventory so may not carry the same products weekly.

The company just held an initial public offering and is now

traded on the NASDAQ, raising about $400 million from its debut in late June.