Throng greets downtown L.A.'s first supermarket

By Cara Mia DiMassa, Times Staff Writer
1:21 PM PDT, July 20, 2007

More than 1,000 people lined up around the block as downtown Los Angeles' first supermarket in half a century opened its doors.



The huge turnout at 9th and Flower streets surprised organizers and spoke to the symbolic value of the Ralphs opening at a time when downtown is seeing a rebirth as a loft and condo hub.

After decades of decline, downtown is in the middle of a revitalization and building boom thanks to an influx of more than 20,000 residents who live in new high-rise towers and restored historic buildings. The new residents have long complained that there is no supermarket in the city center, forcing them to drive miles to get groceries.

The crowd wrapped around the block this morning chanting, "Open! Open!"

Carol Schatz, head of the downtown Business Improvement District, did her best to quiet the crowd.

"We've been waiting 50 years for this," she said. "You can wait five more minutes."

Inside the store, Michael Rich perused the gourmet coffee selection. The 39-year-old resident of the Gas Co. Lofts, a block from the store, said he had been tracking its progress since he moved in two years ago. In the meantime, he'd been shopping at the Vons in the Mid-Wilshire area.

"This is a big day for the residents," he said. "I'm going to be eating much better."

Buzz about the store had been developing for months on downtown-oriented websites.

Terry O'Neil, a spokesman for Ralphs, said the company had never seen this size of a turnout for a grocery store opening.

"We've had lineups, but not like this."

cara.dimassa@latimes.com