After a nearly four-year wait, and a grueling remodel, the new Apple Tree Market is open for business in Ocean Beach in a downscaled space at 4978 Newport Ave.
“It turned out to be very beautiful,” said Apple Tree’s owner, Saad Hirmez, of his 7,000-square-foot remodeled space, about half the size of his previous location at at 4949 Santa Monica Ave.
The market’s space has been downsized – not its selection, Hirmez said.
“There’s ample selection and merchandise, and it’s going to serve the community very well,” he said. “It’s going to work out just great.”
The boutique grocery store owner said Apple Tree is new and improved with a full-service meat department with a staff butcher, produce and dairy departments, and a deli.
There are other store upgrades as well.
“We have a lot of organic items,” Hirmez added.
Apple Tree’s new retail space has gone through several reincarnations over the years. In turn, it’s been a surf shop, a gym, a bazaar and a Bank of America building.
The Hirmez family acquired the building and it has been remodeling since February 2016.
Hirmez said the remodel took longer than expected. “It’s easier to rebuild a new building than it is to go through a remodel. With a new building you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just have to put in new plumbing, electrical, etc. When you’re messing with an old building, it’s a different process. You have to replace everything that’s there, which is likely old and may not be up to current codes and standards.”
The entrepreneur said everything in the Apple Tree, which had a soft opening May 22, is “brand new and up to date – all fresh.”
Hirmez noted his liquor license has been carried over from his former location to sell beer, wine and spirits. According to him, that license includes several agreed-upon conditions including: no single cans of beer, no half-pints or miniature bottles of spirits, no fortified wines and no sales after midnight.
Hirmez said there was a flurry of activity by he and his team just prior to Apple Tree’s re-opening.
“We were putting in 15-, 16-hour days,” he said. “We’re all excited to finally be giving the community the store that they deserve. They’ve showed tremendous support for us opening. We’ve gotten a lot of excitement, and buzz, from the community and our customers.”
The Apple Tree Market was acquired in 1988 by the Hirmez family, which took over the property previously used by Safeway at the corner of Cable Street and Santa Monica Avenue. The market’s lease there ended in 2011. It ceased operations on Dec. 31, 2012. Apple Tree Market
Where: 4976 Newport Ave.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Info: 619-222-0102.