Grocery Outlet Owners To Say Goodbye To Altadena Community

Michell and Mario Guajardo have operated the Grocery Outlet on Lake Avenue since the store opened its doors Dec. 13, 2018, now the couple is ready to move on — but first, they’re going out with a bang.

A farewell party is planned for Friday ahead of the couple's move to Riverside County, according to a post on the store's Facebook page.

“The best part of moving to Altadena is the relationships we made and the customers whom we met as friends and now have become family,” the couple wrote. “These memories will forever be tattooed in our hearts because together we accomplished so much in a short window.”

The party will be held in the store's parking look from 3 to 9 p.m. with a farewell ceremony at 5 p.m., according to the post. Several food trucks will be on hand to provide food.

The Guajardos decided to move to Altadena when they decided to open a Grocer Outlet location, according to an interview they gave to VoyageLA. The couple decided to open the store after spending long, grueling hours as managers for Walmart in San Bernardino County.

By owning their own Grocery Outlet, they could spend more time with each other, they told the magazine.

“We really started to feel good about [Grocery Outlet] and how it is family operated and what an impact you could do [in the community] as an owner,” they said.

Although the Guajardos are leaving Altadena, Grocery Outlet will remain in the city. New owners are set to take over the store after the couple's last day on July 12.