JANESVILLE — Santa Maria Supermarket, a new grocery store on Janesville’s south side, held its grand-opening celebration Sunday.
The event featured live music with La Única de Madison & the Norteño group Inversivo!
The was a special Folklórico dance show along with fun mascots, raffles giveaways and specials.
The 12,000 square-foot family-owned business is located at 1820 Center Avenue, featuring fresh produce, a butcher, bakery, shelf-stable and frozen foods, and a small taqueria for patrons to enjoy.
The family also operates the Santa Maria Grocery on Midvale Boulevard in Madison.
The store will be just north of the future Kwik Trip coming to Center Avenue. For comparison, the Kwik Trip is expected to be about 9,200-square-feet.
To assist in the renovation costs associated with the new grocery store, the city approved a $50,000 grant be given from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) city funding.
“We are excited to partner with Santa Maria Supermarket to address a critical need on Janesville’s southside. We recognize that an opportunity to purchase fresh produce and family staples has been a resource that has been missed by our southside residents,” said City Manager Kevin Lahner.
Santa Maria Supermarket, LLC purchased and closed on the approximate 28,000 square-foot building on Sept. 20, 2024. While a little more than half of the building will have other businesses in
leased spaces, approximately 12,000 square feet will be renovated and dedicated to a grocery
store, according to the agenda for Monday’s council meeting.