After weeks of heartbreak and uncertainty, the Grocery Outlet on Lake Avenue in Altadena is finally reopening its doors on Wednesday. The store, which miraculously survived the devastating Eaton Fire, became a symbol of resilience in a community still reeling from the disaster that displaced hundreds.
For store owner Sandra Valenzuela, the reopening is deeply emotional—not just for her, but for the entire neighborhood.
“Overall saddened, saddened because my neighbors across the street were no longer there, a lot of our community was no longer there,” she said.
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The fact that her store was still standing came as a shock. But despite being spared from the flames, the business was far from untouched. Heavy smoke and soot contaminated everything inside, forcing Valenzuela and her team to throw out nearly 30 tons of products.
“There was a lot of soot and smoke all over everything, and for the safety of our community we didn’t want to take any chances,” she explained.
Still, shutting down permanently was never an option. Valenzuela and her husband, Jose, who bought the store in 2021, knew they had to push forward—not just for themselves, but for the community that relies on them. Their employees, many of whom lost everything in the fire, needed their jobs. The neighborhood needed a sense of normalcy.
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“We need to be here for them and the rest of our community,” Sandra said. “So many of us have lost so much. It’s important, they need their jobs, they need to be distracted, and we need to get back to some type of normalcy.”
Now, after weeks of cleaning, restocking, and rebuilding, the store is ready to welcome customers once again. It’s not just a grand reopening—it’s a sign that, even in the face of devastation, this community is standing strong and moving forward together.
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