SACRAMENTO, CA - On Thursday, May 9, Raley’s broke ground on a new, innovative store that is set to blend the old and the new in California's capitol, specifically its Land Park neighborhood on Freeport Blvd.

“The South Land Park community has been such a tremendous supporter of our Freeport Blvd store for decades and we are excited to be able to bring them (in the coming months) a brand new shopping experience with an amplified product mix and services to meet their growing needs,” Michael Schutt, Sr. Category Manager, Produce and Floral, told me.

As we reported in March, the new state-of-the-art store will act as the anchor for a new shopping center known as “The Park,” and will offer a wide range of natural and organic products, full-service deli, sushi, and bakery departments, along with grab-and-go prepared foods. The store will feature an inviting lofted dining area, a wine tasting room, 25,000 square feet of outdoor seating, and newly renovated bathrooms, reports the news source.

The Sacramento Bee reported the new location as a fusion of modern amenities and classic grocery store charm. The new location is planned for a 2020 opening, in place of an existing store.

Raley’s Owner, Michael Teel, and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg were on hand at the ceremony, reminiscing on the history of the soon-to-be-replaced store.

“This was our No. 1 store for decades,” Teel said of the old store, which will remain open during the new store’s construction. “It still is a very high-performing store.”

The new store will include the old store’s locally famous manual marquee, which often displays dad-worthy puns, like today’s, which read, “In queso forgot, today’s a big dill.”

Will this big dill new store bring in consumers by the droves? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.

Raley's Markets