SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The long-awaited Rancho San Miguel Market in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood is once again receiving a new opening date — jumping from Jan. 26, 2022 to mid-February, or "possibly late February."
Once home to the now-closed Food Source, the Rancho San Miguel Market chain location is desperately needed, community leaders in Oak Park, Elmhurst and Tahoe Park neighborhoods say.
"We've been a food desert for a while," said Michael Benjamin II, board member of Oak Park Neighborhood Association. "People are looking to be able to go somewhere locally and get food that they can afford. It's a problem, especially for Black and Brown people."
But residents have been waiting almost two-months past the first deadline set for October 2021 by PAQ Inc., a Stockton-based company that operates the Rancho San Miguel Market chain.
ABC10 lead race and culture reporter Kandace Redd contacted PAQ Inc. President and CEO Bill Cote on Friday regarding the new opening date for the grocery store. Cote explained that productivity is not the issue, rather construction issues related to a supply chain shortage.
"We have experience delays in receiving equipment (supply chain issues), delays in truckers meeting their commitment dates (trucking shortages), difficulties in sourcing construction workers – skilled and unskilled," Cote shared in an email to ABC10's race and culture team. "And we did have a week delay due to an inspection matter that ultimately deemed our work as appropriate."
PAQ, Inc. has been looking to fill new job positions for the grocery store in Oak Park, including cashiers, relief and night crew managers, utility and general clerks, and more. But, due to the opening date being delayed, the hiring process is being slowed, too.
"We had to delay our hiring activities a bit due to the delays," Cote said. "We have hired 26 people for the new store in Oak Park so far. Those individuals are working at our other stores nearby, mostly at our Food 4 Less store on Mack Road in Sacramento. These employees are getting valuable training and experience, which will help in the start of the new store."
