Anaheim-based Northgate González Market opened its newest store concept, Mercado González, in Costa Mesa today.
The Hispanic supermarket chain renovated a former Albertsons into a 70,000 square foot marketplace featuring multiple dining options serving Mexican cuisine alongside the traditional grocery offerings.
There are more than 20 puestos, or food stands, that offer prepared dishes such as menudo, tamales and birria and other vendors that sell meats, salsas, cheeses, produce, tortillas and more. Mercado González also includes the opening of a fine dining restaurant, Maizano, and a new outdoor bar, Entre Nos Bar.
The Mercado is the first store of its kind for the business, currently managed by the third generation of the González family, who wanted to offer “Mexican culinary delight and cultural immersion” for consumers.
Northgate was founded in 1980 and counts 43 grocery stores in California. The grocer ranked No. 22 in the Business Journal’s list of largest employers in Orange County with 2,399 local employees.
For more on Northgate’s Mercado González, see the Nov. 27 print edition of the Business Journal.
