Mollie Stone’s Castro, a family-run grocery store that’s been open in the San Francisco neighborhood since 2009, held a Grand Reopening celebration on the morning of January 17, 2025, after months of extensive renovations. The moment of its reopening was captured in a short clip taken by Juan Davila of the San Francisco Bay Times, which helped with the event. Special thanks to Erika Petryszyn, Marketing Manager at Mollie Stone’s, who with her team worked with dedication to make the reopening possible.
A video shared by Mollie Stone’s provides a look at what the newly renovated store looks like.
The event was doubly significant for our Bay Times team, who regularly shop at this store—and others in the Mollie’s Stone’s small chain. (Our film columnist and multiple Emmy winner Jan Wahl, for example, is at the Sausalito Mollie Stone’s so much that she has joked it is her second office. That’s another beautiful store that even has a Peet’s coffee bar inside of it.)
The other reason for this event’s importance is that it marked a return to public events for Bay Times columnist and legendary drag artist Donna Sachet, who is recovering well from a stroke suffered last year. She was her usual stylish, charismatic self, and spoke eloquently at the event—as did Elliott Stone, the son of owner Mike Stone and COO of Mollie Stone’s. Aaron Stone also attended and helped cut the Grand Opening ribbon.
Mike founded Mollie Stone’s Natural Foods in 1986 with the goal of “making a difference in people’s lives through food.” He named the business, later Mollie Stone’s Markets, after his late mother, Mollie. The initial store was located in Redwood City, where they carried only natural and organic products without added sugars. That dedication to quality remains and carries through all of the stores, including the one in the Castro, which the family took over in 2009. (The building was formerly operated as Delano’s Market.)
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who was recently elected President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and is featured on the January 16, 2025, cover of the Bay Times, also spoke, along with Nate Bourg of Castro Merchants and The Academy SF. Rafael was a former columnist for the Bay Times.
Those who attended the Grand Opening ceremony enjoyed free food and drinks.
The first 200 individuals who visit Mollie Stone’s Castro on January 18, 2025, and spend at least $20 will receive a free recycled bag. The chain as a whole is also featuring some great deals this month focused on health and wellness products, such as Mollie Stone’s dietary supplements, and low-to-no-alcohol drinks for Dry January.
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