Warm Beach Grocery is set to return to Stanwood under new ownership, according to a recent liquor license application.
The longtime neighborhood market at 9705 188th St. NW, which has been closed for nearly two years, was recently purchased by the Mehta family, who plan to reopen it as a grocery store with coffee, prepared food, and everyday essentials.
The business is owned by Lalit Mehta and his family. Kumar Mehta, Lalit’s son, who helps oversee the business, told What Now Seattle that the family purchased the longtime market after it had sat vacant for nearly two years.
The family already operates a gas station in Marysville and had been looking for another business opportunity when the Warm Beach property became available.
According to Kumar, the goal is to create a neighborhood gathering place.
“It will be a community store. We will have a grocery store with a deli and a coffee shop inside because it’s got a nice beach view. So we are going to have some outdoor seating.”
The store will stock everyday grocery items, including canned goods, dairy products, frozen foods, snacks, beverages, and household essentials. Fresh produce will also be available through scheduled deliveries, and the food program will initially focus on pizza and other quick prepared items.
According to Kumar, the building was already undergoing renovations when the family purchased the property, and work has continued as they address permitting requirements and bring the building up to code.
The owners had originally hoped to open before the Fourth of July, but permitting delays and the amount of work needed to bring the building up to code pushed the timeline back. They now expect to open by the end of the year.
