Ralphs to Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of its Expanded and Enhanced Westwood Village Supermarket

WESTWOOD, Calif., Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its ongoing reinvestment in its supermarkets, Ralphs will unveil its newest remodeled store in Westwood Village on Friday, September 18 following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. The new store at 10861 Le Conte Avenue is open 24 hours. The remodeled store will provide Westwood Village residents with one-stop shopping convenience, quality products, new services and great value.

"Westwood Village shoppers can expect to see great prices, larger product variety and top-notch customer service at our newly remodeled and expanded Westwood Ralphs," said Donna Giordano, president of Ralphs. "We're excited about the new products and services we are offering in our Westwood store and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the community."

The remodeled Westwood Village Ralphs is approximately 93,400 square feet, including an expansion of more than 50,000 square feet to allow for a larger selection of products and services for customers. The store is now the largest Ralphs in Southern California.

Community Input
Ralphs worked closely with local community organizations and residents to determine which new and expanded offerings, services and products would best meet the community's needs. Based on shopper requests and input, the newly-remodeled Westwood Village Ralphs has been uniquely designed to create an outstanding overall shopping experience.

Shoppers visiting the store will enjoy an expanded selection of products and services, including an abundance of fresh produce; a fully staffed meat department featuring high quality meats; a fresh seafood department; a full-service bakery featuring fresh breads, rolls and desserts; a service delicatessen with fresh items for shoppers on the go; a full-service pharmacy; and a wide variety of organic/natural and gluten-free offerings.

Service Food Court
The remodeled Westwood supermarket features a number of "firsts" for Ralphs, including a food court-style restaurant with seating. Hungry shoppers visiting the store's "food court" can choose of fresh-made entrees and desserts including made-to-order burgers, handcrafted sandwiches, fresh Italian and Mexican foods, pizza, salads, sushi, desserts and more. There is also a juice bar offering natural and organic smoothies and juices.

Cork & Tap Wine and Beer Bar
The renovated Westwood Ralphs is just the second Ralphs to feature a sit-down wine and beer bar. The store's Cork & Tap wine and beer bar features premium wines and local craft beers by the glass. Customers can also order food, including cheeses, from the Cork & Tap's tapas-style menu.

Murray's Cheese Shop
In addition to providing residents with one-stop shopping convenience for all their grocery needs, the new remodeled Westwood Village Ralphs also features an in-store Murray's Cheese Shop.

Founded in 1940, Murray's Cheese is the oldest cheese shop in New York City and is known for its expertise in cheese and huge selection of cheeses from around the world. The Ralphs Westwood Murray's Cheese Shop offers more than 175 types of cheese – including dozens of local varieties – plus a wide selection of specialty items including crackers, dried fruit, and an olive and antipasto bar.

More Special Department and Services
The renovated and expanded Westwood Village Ralphs also features a "Live Naturally" wellness center offering more than 3,500 natural items from vitamins to body care products. Shoppers will also enjoy the convenience of the store's "Money Shop," which provides a variety of financial services, including money transfers, money orders, payroll and government check-cashing, bill payment, pre-paid debit cards, and pre-paid phones.

Adding to the store's one-stop-shopping experience are a Starbuck's cafe with free Wi-Fi and an upgraded in-store pharmacy, which is open 24 hours a day to serve customers.

Bringing Jobs to the Community
The remodel of the Westwood Village Ralphs has also created an abundance of jobs. The store will employ approximately 340 full- and part-time associates, including 150 newly-hired associates from the community. Store Manager Don Jansen began his supermarket career in 1988 as a part-time Courtesy Clerk. He was promoted to store manager in 2009. Jansen became Westwood's manager in May. Prior to that, he managed a high-volume Ralphs in Burbank.

"I'm looking forward to showing the residents of Westwood our newly-remodeled store and all it has to offer," said Jansen. "Our goal is to be the best supermarket in the area by offering our customers great service, selection and quality foods at exceptional value. We look forward to the community joining us at our grand re-opening celebration on Friday, September 18."

Grand Opening Events and Community Giving
The renovated Westwood Village Ralphs will host a grand opening celebration at 8 a.m. on Friday, September 18. Ralphs officials, store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Musicians from the UCLA Bruin Marching Band will also perform. The celebration will also include the presentation of a $42,000 donation from Ralphs to Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.

Other special grand opening events include character appearances, product giveaways and samplings, and raffle drawings throughout the weekend.

Like Us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter
Ralphs invites shoppers to share their Westwood Village store shopping experience on Facebook. Visit the Ralphs Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ralphs. Customers can also follow Ralphs on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ralphsgrocery. Fans of the Ralphs Facebook page and followers of Ralphs Twitter account will receive information about weekly specials, sales events, charitable campaigns and more.

About Ralphs
Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 209 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company's stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the nation's largest food retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com.

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SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company

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