Rite Aid South Lake Tahoe- Suspension of food permit

[storewanderer]

Went to Rite Aid at South Tahoe. Handwritten sign on door stating they cannot sell food beverages or alcohol. Next to that was a red notice from county health department stating this.

Everything was still on the shelves but if you tried to buy any food items they refused the sale. Not clear what exactly the issue was. I have my suspicions.

Store was as dirty and gross as ever. Stocked a little better but still poorly.

Place was pretty much deserted but South Tahoe is jam packed despite lousy weather.

Assuming the issue is what I think it was I find it funny they cannot sell, say, canned food, yet they can still sell consumable medicine, toothpaste, etc.

Rite Aid needs to let this store go. Totally unacceptable embarrassment again and again. Down the road in Gardnerville is a store that looks absolutely perfect, in stock level has improved drastically the past few weeks.

[storewanderer]

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/emd/en ... ports.aspx

Here we go:

These are the required items that were not in compliance with the health inspection:
Conditions posted here represent violations found during the actual conditions on the date listed. The facility's current condition may be different.
09/01/2023

- Nonfood-contact surfaces clean

- No rodents, insects, birds, or animals

- Floors, walls and ceilings: built, maintained, and clean

- Equipment/Utensils - approved; installed; good repair; capacity

- Plumbing proper backflow devices

- Toilet facilities: properly constructed, supplied, cleaned

- Premises personal/cleaning items vermin-proofing

- Permit Suspension

- Equipment, utensils and linens: storage and use

[ClownLoach]

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/emd/en ... ports.aspx

Here we go:

These are the required items that were not in compliance with the health inspection:
Conditions posted here represent violations found during the actual conditions on the date listed. The facility's current condition may be different.
09/01/2023

- Nonfood-contact surfaces clean

- No rodents, insects, birds, or animals

- Floors, walls and ceilings: built, maintained, and clean

- Equipment/Utensils - approved; installed; good repair; capacity

- Plumbing proper backflow devices

- Toilet facilities: properly constructed, supplied, cleaned

- Premises personal/cleaning items vermin-proofing

- Permit Suspension

- Equipment, utensils and linens: storage and use

So maybe they didn't pay the health permit, thus requiring them to stop selling food until paid plus a new inspection?

[storewanderer]

So maybe they didn't pay the health permit, thus requiring them to stop selling food until paid plus a new inspection?

I don't think payment was an issue. Permit was suspended due to the issues noted such as rodents/insects/birds/animals, backflow issue, etc. I think this store has been without a store manager for many months also. But that is no excuse. Cleaning and maintenance is a third party task.

The website is weird but the stuff listed as all not in compliance. They do not display the data in a manner that is exactly intuitive.

[bryceleinan]

So maybe they didn't pay the health permit, thus requiring them to stop selling food until paid plus a new inspection?

I don't think payment was an issue. Permit was suspended due to the issues noted such as rodents/insects/birds/animals, backflow issue, etc. I think this store has been without a store manager for many months also. But that is no excuse. Cleaning and maintenance is a third party task.

The website is weird but the stuff listed as all not in compliance. They do not display the data in a manner that is exactly intuitive.

I’m two-thirds of the way through earning my Doctor of Business Administration, and I still couldn’t understand the jargon they had on their site. Doesn’t matter much, the store is a dump. While I’m sad to see Rite Aid functionally dying, if this store dies, it would probably be a net positive to the chain.

[storewanderer]

I’m two-thirds of the way through earning my Doctor of Business Administration, and I still couldn’t understand the jargon they had on their site. Doesn’t matter much, the store is a dump. While I’m sad to see Rite Aid functionally dying, if this store dies, it would probably be a net positive to the chain.

This South Lake Tahoe Rite Aid used to be one of their best stores around. It wasn't even that long ago it was an exceptionally performing store with a lot of merchandise and a healthy operation. That was why it got self checkouts (hardly any NorCal units have them)- they put them into only their busiest stores and South Lake Tahoe made the cut. They renewed the store's lease last year so clearly they want to keep it. I really thought after they renewed the least last year they'd fix the store. But that didn't happen, and now this happened. I think they have had a lot of very bad luck on staffing there.

You wouldn't know Rite Aid is functionally dying by how the store in Gardnerville looks. They really hold that one together. It also has almost no customers. Someone with power really likes that store. Then again the Wal Mart in Gardnerville is also in perfect shape.

[storewanderer]

Went back to this store. New store manager is in place, a previous district manager. Store is spotless clean. Previous missing ceiling tiles/soiled tiles have been replaced. Shelves are still a big mess, not stocked well, but they seem to be working on it. Ice cream counter is still closed.

It looks like the suspension of the food permit caused swift action to make improvements to this store after they just let it go into complete shambles in the past couple years.

Walgreens has been wanting to get into Lake Tahoe for years but could never make a location happen (they came real close on a former Wells Fargo building at Stateline, NV but the county wouldn't approve it) so they definitely need to maintain this store, Kings Beach, and Truckee since Walgreens has no presence in those markets.

[SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT]

FWIW, on Sunday I was out in the SCV (Santa Clarita Valley) and stopped into a Walmart. This location opened as a traditional Walmart and later morphed into a smaller sized Supercenter. This location has recently completed a hard remodel - but the location is too tight to fit all the merchandise and narrow aisles. Finally, they re-located the pharmacy back to it's original spot from when the store first opened. The past ten or so years, it was in the middle of the store.

Anyway...what do I see staring at me as I walk in to the entrance terrace? A "B" health inspection rating - issued back in February 2023 from the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department.

Similar to the RAD location, this Walmart had similar issues and looking at the trail of inspections, it appears all of their food products (dry, produce, bakery, meat, deli, etc.) were suspended from being sold for a period of time. What surprised me was that the "B" rating was still in place! Walmart should have followed-up and asked for a re-inspection to get back their "A" rating.

I'm sure Walmart loses some customers who see the "B" rating.

I was out there really to see the impact (again) on the local SCV marketplace - and the divestitures that Kroger will have to make in that community - kind of ugly if you ask me. Looks similar to what happened to ABS when they acquired Vons and Pavilions in that city.

Poor RAD. They are now down to one location within the SCV at Sand Canyon from the previous high of 5 (operating as RAD). Valencia Lyons Ave., Valencia McBean/Decoro, Castaci and, Saugus Bouquet Canyon/Seco Canyon have all closed.

CVS is still running 8 stores throughout the SCV. 1 former Long's, 2 former Target's, 2 former Big Boy Sav-on's, and 3 former small box Sav-on's. So far, the SCV has escaped any closings by CVS.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT

[storewanderer]

I'm sure Walmart loses some customers who see the "B" rating.

I was out there really to see the impact (again) on the local SCV marketplace - and the divestitures that Kroger will have to make in that community - kind of ugly if you ask me. Looks similar to what happened to ABS when they acquired Vons and Pavilions in that city.

Poor RAD. They are now down to one location within the SCV at Sand Canyon from the previous high of 5 (operating as RAD). Valencia Lyons Ave., Valencia McBean/Decoro, Castaci and, Saugus Bouquet Canyon/Seco Canyon have all closed.

CVS is still running 8 stores throughout the SCV. 1 former Long's, 2 former Target's, 2 former Big Boy Sav-on's, and 3 former small box Sav-on's. So far, the SCV has escaped any closings by CVS.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT

The rating posting seems to be a county by county thing, I don't see it much in NorCal. I think San Francisco does that.

Rite Aid still can't run the ice cream counter in South Lake Tahoe. They have barely had that open since they installed it (former Payless Store). I don't think Truckee has it open much either (another former Payless) due to chronic understaffing. Try to not operate the ice cream counter in a former Thrifty unit and the customers simply won't allow it.

I don't think all of those Rite Aids should have closed but a couple were probably closure candidates. Like that store in Castaic (a former Payless), the entire shopping center is cursed, with Ralphs gone too.

[SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT]

I'm sure Walmart loses some customers who see the "B" rating.

I was out there really to see the impact (again) on the local SCV marketplace - and the divestitures that Kroger will have to make in that community - kind of ugly if you ask me. Looks similar to what happened to ABS when they acquired Vons and Pavilions in that city.

Poor RAD. They are now down to one location within the SCV at Sand Canyon from the previous high of 5 (operating as RAD). Valencia Lyons Ave., Valencia McBean/Decoro, Castaci and, Saugus Bouquet Canyon/Seco Canyon have all closed.

CVS is still running 8 stores throughout the SCV. 1 former Long's, 2 former Target's, 2 former Big Boy Sav-on's, and 3 former small box Sav-on's. So far, the SCV has escaped any closings by CVS.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT

The rating posting seems to be a county by county thing, I don't see it much in NorCal. I think San Francisco does that.

Rite Aid still can't run the ice cream counter in South Lake Tahoe. They have barely had that open since they installed it (former Payless Store). I don't think Truckee has it open much either (another former Payless) due to chronic understaffing. Try to not operate the ice cream counter in a former Thrifty unit and the customers simply won't allow it.

I don't think all of those Rite Aids should have closed but a couple were probably closure candidates. Like that store in Castaic (a former Payless), the entire shopping center is cursed, with Ralphs gone too.

Hi Mike,

In reference to the dead center in Castaic - it's too close to all the transient truck stops and activity on that street. The shopping center slowly went downhill, even though Panda added a free-standing location (remains open). That Ralphs opened new in the fall of 1992.

Many years later when Ralphs opened a very nice location (opened new as Ralphs Marketplace) in the Hasley Hills/Hasley Canyon and Live Oak areas - that put the death spiral on the other Castaic Ralphs location. Hasley Canyon has much higher demographics, with homes in the $1 million plus range, and the new Williams Ranch development adjacent to Hasley Canyon has homes pushing right up against a $1 million. That Ralphs does very well - sales volume wise, with no competition in the north Santa Clarita/Castaic area.

Separate of the the Ralphs in Santa Maria/Los Osos, the Castaic location is the furthest north branded north Ralphs that you will find as you make your way north on the I-5 and SR- 99, not counting FoodsCo.

During my trip to the SCV, I see that the "original" Fresh Fare on McBean Pkwy., near Henry Mayo hospital (opened new as Hughes) has had a very recent "cheap" remodel. Frankly, I liked the previous look at that store - similar to what is used at many of the Fry's locations in terms of signage font and décor. Other than the Soledad Canyon location (opened new as Hughes), it appears all of the SCV-area Ralphs have had some kind of remodel over the past two years - including north Valencia (NorthPark/Northbridge) which was re-branded into Fresh Fare.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT