BRISTOL FARMS OPENS NEW UNIT, PLANS MORE

LISA A. TIBBITTS

TORRANCE, Calif. -- Bristol Farms, a four-unit gourmet food retailer here, recently opened one new store and plans to build at least two more.

The new store opened in Woodland Hills, Calif., said Louis Kwicker, chairman and chief executive officer.

The 25,500-square-foot space formerly housed an Alpha Beta store which closed last July. Bristol Farms spent more than $5 million to refurbish the site, according to a statement from the company.

Another unit is scheduled to open during the second half of the year in Long Beach, and "we are probably going to open another one sometime in the fall of the year" Kwicker said, not identifying the location.

Bristol Farms currently operates stores in the greater Los Angeles area, in Manhattan Beach, South Pasadena and Rolling Hills Estates. The company's annual sales volume reaches $50 million, according to reports.

The units feature gourmet grocery sections, along with prepared foods departments and scratch bakeries. The units average 25,000 square feet.

Kwicker was previously chief executive officer of Wherehouse Entertainment, a music and video rental retailer.