Sprouts Farmers Market adds another grocery option to High Desert. Find out the offerings

Fans of Sprouts Farmers Market lined up before dawn to enter the company’s newest grocery store on Amargosa Road in Victorville.

Mayor Liz Becerra, who attended Friday’s early morning ribbon cutting, said she was elated to see the long line of Sprouts customers that stretched past the Get Air Trampoline center.

‘Big day’ for Sprouts devotees

Becerra encouraged other companies, considering doing business in Victorville, to take “a good look” at the “excitement of the hundreds of Sprouts shoppers” in line and inside the new store.

“I spoke to the first person in line, who told me they got here at 11 p.m. on Thursday,” she said. “People have been asking for Sprouts for a long time and today is their big day.”

The ribbon-cutting celebration was also attended by Councilwoman Blanca Gomez, city employees, and Victorville sheriff’s station staff.

Bringing nutritional value to the High Desert

During the grand opening, Gomez stood at the entrance, greeting customers and gifting long-stem roses.

Gomez said she arrived at Sprouts early Friday morning and was shocked to see a long line of customers.

“I was thinking, ‘What is going on?’ I wasn’t expecting that,” Gomez said. “When I saw a lot of people, I recognized that the High Desert has been a food desert for a very long time. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s, a Whole Foods, we don’t have a Goodwin’s. We don’t have those essential needs that people can have nutritional value. This store offers that.”

Victorville resident Jasmine Boyd was the 13th customer in line and the first customer to exit the store with a shopping cart.

Boyd woke up at 4 a.m. to buy one particular item, whole organic raw milk, which is not sold in very many places, she said.

“I’ve never done any kind of opening before. I might do something like this again," she said. "It was fun just chatting and talking to people that have been to store openings before. It was just a fun thing to do.”

A 'goldmine' for dairy-free products

As they prepared to check out, Karla Franko and her daughter, Chelsea Franko, said the long wait in line to get inside Sprouts was worth it.

“We’re dairy-free and this place is a goldmine for all of the dairy-free stuff,” Karla said.

“I’ve been dairy-free for 12 years and there are so many options here at Sprouts that aren’t at any other grocery stores in the entire High Desert,” Chelsea Franko said. “I’m thrilled because we don’t have to drive down the hill anymore to go to Sprouts.”

Sprouts District Director Jason Bosch said the Victorville store, with over 90 team members, is his 20th in his region of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

“We are just super excited to have everyone here,” Bosch said. “This is the first in the High Desert area. We are excited to expand into the High Desert. Getting the community involved and getting the community healthier, a variety of produce, meat, bulk items, vitamins, and supplements. We are just excited for the community to see what Sprouts has to offer.”

Grand opening celebration

The grand opening celebration from March 15 to 17 includes a variety of activities, including a “pop-up party” at the store.

The party will give guests the chance to taste seasonal produce from the tasting bar, participate in a “guess the weight” contest of an oversized piece of produce, and more.

In anticipation of the opening, shoppers will have the chance to win a $500 Sprouts gift card through midnight on March 17 when they sign up via the website.

Customers who text “VILLE” to 777-688 will receive 20% off their purchase over the grand opening weekend when they scan their app account barcode at checkout—up to two redemptions per Sprouts account per day.

Shoppers can also view Sprouts’ weekly ad and save more than $100 with digital coupons on grocery staples and new items every month on the app.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz  

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Sprouts Farmers Market adds another grocery option to High Desert