SILVERDALE — Another grocery store will open next week in Silverdale, lightening the load other stores face amid COVID-19 buying.

Sprouts Farmers Market will open at 11066 Pacific Crest Place Northwest on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 a.m. The store brands itself as supplying healthy and fresh groceries, with gluten-free items and keto-friendly options. This will be the third Phoenix-based Sprouts in Washington, with the other two in Lynnwood and Mill Creek.

This location was chosen because of the demand for healthy food in the area, said Sprouts spokeswoman Kalia Pang.

“We have a big focus on fresh food and also natural and organic options at everyday prices,” she said. Sprouts stores are smaller than conventional grocery stores — the Silverdale Sprouts is 27,000 square feet. The store is centered on fresh produce, whereas conventional stores often have produce on the perimeter, Pang said.

The store was originally going to open on March 18, but the opening was delayed because of the outbreak of COVID-19. Pang said the decision to go ahead and open in April rather than waiting until after the outbreak calms down was out of service to the community. People need options for groceries during this time, she said, and this will provide another option for groceries in Silverdale.

The store will be operating on modified hours, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., versus the regular hours of operation, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The April 8 opening won’t be a full grand-opening with lots of sales and promotions; the aim will be to keep the store from crowding. A grand-opening event will be held after the COVID-19 pandemic calms down, Pang said. The staff will pay close attention the first few weeks of opening to make sure the store isn’t so full that social-distancing can’t be practiced, and it may enforce limits on people allowed in the store at once if it becomes necessary.

Sprouts is following CDC and local health guidelines, according to a press release sent Wednesday, and has added hours to ensure more frequent cleaning, especially at touchpoints. Social-distancing is also being promoted in the store with signs, and plexiglass barriers are installed to protect staff and customers. The bulk section typically has self-serve scoops, but instead, items will be prepackaged to reduce contact in that area.

Pick-up won’t be an option at the store’s opening, though after staff members have had time to get comfortable with their duties, it will be implemented, Pang said. It could come as soon as early May, Pang said.

Sprouts offers bulk foods, a vitamin department, meat and seafood counter and a bakery section. Though Pang said customers may not find brands they’re accustomed to, the store offers products from brands with a natural focus. It has stores in 23 states.

“We know people will have questions about the products we offer,” Pang said. “Our open layout makes it easy to spot a team member to help them find the products they need.”

Sprouts works to attain zero waste, so the store will donate unsold edible groceries to Food Lifeline. Last year, Sprouts stores donated 27 million pounds of food to its food rescue program. Food not fit for human consumption is donated as cow feed to local farmers, and past that extra food is donated as compost.

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