The wait has officially paid off: A new Bashas' opened its doors last week, giving Catalina residents their closest supermarket.
Bashas,' located in Catalina at 15310 N. Oracle Road in Golder Ranch Plaza, offers a variety of foods and services in its 54,000 square feet, making it the biggest of the seven Bashas' stores in the Tucson area, according to the store director.
"We're excited to serve that neighborhood," said Alison Bendler, a Bashas' spokeswoman. "We offer customers all the amenities we think they need."
Apart from the regular grocery selection and meat department, this includes a from-scratch bakery, an olive bar and a deli offering meats, cheeses, hot entrees, Mexican food and wood-fired pizza.
There are also the Chinese restaurant Rice Garden, a United Drug pharmacy, the Natural Choice department for nutritional supplements and natural and organic foods, and a Wells Fargo bank.
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One of the more unusual features is the free Cub House child-care center, where little ones are taken care of for up to 90 minutes, while their parents shop and watch their children on six TV screens that are placed around the store.
An online delivery service for groceries serves customers who can't leave their house or don't have time to shop, Bendler said.
Since it's one of few large grocery stores in the area and the closest one for Catalina residents, the owners count on the business' success.
"They are expecting big things from this store," said store director Richard Rodriguez, boss of the 130 employees at the store. "It's a growing area. The potential is astronomical."
His secret to customer loyalty is to provide the best possible service, said Rodriguez, who has been with Bashas' for five years.
"We're in the service business, we just happen to sell groceries," he said, greeting several people personally during a short walk through the store.
When Bashas' opened its doors for a sneak preview April 11, about 1,000 people came to celebrate, he said.
"It was completely packed, elbow to elbow," Rodriguez said. "It was nothing like we've ever seen before."
And more than a week after the opening, customers still compliment the store, saying they are happy with its location and interior.
"I like everything about it," said Sylvia Kastelic, a SaddleBrooke resident. "It's beautiful, it's bright, and the aisles are wider."
Kastelic said she expects to go shopping there about once a week.
Others echoed her opinion, including Joy and Gene Knepper, who said they save money and time by shopping at the nearby store.
"It's fabulous, it has everything I need," Joy said, adding that she especially likes the large amounts of flowers and fruit. "We have been waiting for it to open."
This will be the 83rd location of the family-owned chain with stores across Arizona, one location in California and one in New Mexico, Bendler said.
Brothers Eddie Basha Sr. and Ike Basha founded Bashas' in 1932, and their sons Eddie Basha Jr. and Johnny Basha now run the business, she said.
The lineup of other businesses slated to open soon at Golder Ranch Plaza includes Blockbuster video, Subway, Kelly's Coffee and Fudge Factory, Great Clips, Comet Cleaners, Farmers Insurance, Catalina Quilting, Nail Trix nail salon, Mijo's Mexican restaurant, Fox's Pizza Den, a Diamond Shamrock gas station and Brake Max auto care.
If you go
● The new Bashas' is at 15310 N. Oracle Road, near East Golder Ranch Road. Hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. For more information, call the store at 818-9664 or go to www.bashas.com. The pharmacy is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Contact the pharmacy at 818-6468.
