Small grocery chain has its eyes on former Fresh and Easy market in Lemoore

According to the City of Lemoore’s Planning Department, the businessmen have obtained a business license, but have not asked for any building permits as of June 29. Lemoore Planner Steve Brandt said that the city’s building inspectors have had conversations with them about what types of improvements would trigger the need for a building permit.

“We have no knowledge of their timeline for the opening,” said Brandt.

The company, Lemoore Foods, Inc. was incorporated earlier this year. The company’s agent is Mohamed Hussain. It’s unclear as to when the company plans to open the store for business. If it’s like their other stores it will feature grocery items.

A video, produced by a company entitled SBA Pros, shows a pair of men named Ali and Abdul who talk about their success with SBA Pros as they purchased and updated several small groceries in the Valley.

SBA Pros is a professional organization that assists small business owners. SBA Pros helps clients in dealing with small business loans through the Small Business Administration.

In the video the two talk about their businesses and reveal that they recently purchased the Fresh and Easy site in Lemoore.

Lemoore’s Fresh & Easy neighborhood market announced last October that it would close. The Lemoore store finally closed in early 2016. Experts and company spokespersons cited by The Los Angeles Times blamed the lack of cash and inability to obtain financing which led to the retailer’s downfall.

The Lemoore Fresh and Easy confirmed its closure by announcing sales reductions and posting closure notices at its store on Cinnamon Drive.

It was about eight years ago that Fresh & Easy, formerly a British supermarket chain, opened hundreds of stores in the United States hoping its local stores featuring organic foods and quick checkout service would appeal to Americans.

Billionaire supermarket owner Ron Burkle bought the fledgling chain two years ago and said late last year that Fresh & Easy would liquidate all stores. Some will be closed, other will be sold.

Burkle’s Yucaipa Co., an investment firm, bought most of the Fresh & Easy locations after the organization sought protection from creditors in 2013. Burkle’s purchase included 167 stores. The others were closed.