Small grocery planned south of Pearl

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They had no idea downtown San Antonio was in the market for a small grocery mart, but a Laredo couple plans to open one about a mile south of the Pearl Brewery.

Molinas will be a hybrid shop, functioning as a grocery market, restaurant and fuel station, co-owner Juan Manuel Molina said. It's expected to open by June.

The 4,200-square-foot shop will be housed in a former convenience store at 700 N. Alamo St., at Brooklyn Avenue.

There will be six gas pumps and the restaurant will feature traditional Mexican cuisine and smoked barbecue platters.

While the idea might call to mind a glorified corner store, the shop will operate mostly as a grocery store, featuring a meat counter, produce section, beer and wine section, dry goods and household items.

“I'd call us a grocery store, just on a smaller scale,” Molina said.

The store's size will be just a fraction of what the city wants in a downtown grocery market.

Earlier this week, the city began soliciting proposals for a downtown market about 15,000 square feet in size.

Through the “request for information” process, the city will choose a qualified grocery operator and could provide incentives such as a $1 million grant.

The deadline to submit a proposal is 3 p.m. June 4. A review committee is expected to select a finalist by the summer, and City Council could take action by September.

Already there are about two dozen grocery stores, corner stores and small markets in and around the downtown area. And more are planned.

In Southtown, there are plans for a 2,000-square-foot grocery store at the Blue Star Arts Complex, and Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff and his wife Sandi Wolff are planning a grocery store near the Pearl Brewery.

Leonor Molina, Juan Manuel's wife, said they became aware of city incentives after closing on the property. Nevertheless, she said they won't pursue them for the store.

The couple have owned and operated a similar market in Laredo since 1995.

Late last year, they purchased the former gas station in downtown San Antonio and are currently waiting for permit approval to begin construction.

Before signing the deal, the couple wasn't aware of the hype surrounding the need for a downtown grocery store.

“It was an opportunity for us to expand our business,” Leonor Molina said. “We weren't aware of the any of that. We landed a great space. It's all just a coincidence.”

While the part of North Alamo near the Pearl is seeing development activity, the stretch near Molinas is quieter, noted Terri Rubiola, a vice president of commercial real estate firm DH Realty Partners.

But in the long run, added development along Broadway and the possibility of a nearby streetcar line could benefit the couple's venture.

“It's a tough call whether or not there's enough to support something like that right now,” she said.

“Something like that is really untested there. The area is in its infancy, but it could develop into a thriving little street.”

vlucio@express-news.net