Historic Napa Valley Landmark Oakville Grocery to Undergo Structural Renovation

Oakville Grocery Company’s flagship store—the oldest continually operating grocery store in California (open since 1881) and one of Napa Valley’s most beloved “must stop” destinations—will temporarily close its doors from January 2 to mid-March for a necessary structural renovation. This much needed restoration will preserve the charm and ambiance of the historic property, while also ensuring that the store will be able to serve the community for decades to come. During the closure all services within the building will cease operations, including those of the Oakville Post Office. According to Guy Byrne, construction manager for the project, “the store was built without a foundation. In order to preserve the original building there must be a foundation added and reinforcement of all of its walls.” Moving the post office to another building on the property will provide a more comfortable customer flow and will also make the store ADA compliant. An update to the electrical system will make the property more energy efficient, and there will be more room created for prepared and packaged product. There will also be two small buildings added for storage and back of house operations, and two additional public restrooms. Additionally, a proposed 600 square foot space, including a porch, is being built behind the main store to accommodate the Post Office. While the U.S. Postal Service has not yet confirmed that it will be relocating the Oakville branch to this space, Rudd Properties has offered to build this new post office at its own expense for the benefit of the local community.  Temporarily, the Oakville residents will be able to pick up their mail at a modular post office that the U. S. Postal Service has set up in the parking lot of Oakville Grocery. Other improvements to the store will include updated food and beverage equipment, energy saving refrigeration, and an increase in fresh food selection. Customers can expect to see many more Oakville Grocery private label products from Napa and Sonoma, as well as a major increase in baked goods. Oakville Grocery Company exclusively carries products from the state of California, with an emphasis on Napa and Sonoma counties. For more information about the grocer, visit www.oakvillegrocery.com.