9-24-2024 4:35am

BARGAIN GROCER

Jeff Barto Editor

COCKEYSVILLE, MD — A new discount grocery store will celebrate its grand opening next week in Cockeysville, continuing its growth in Baltimore County and beyond.

Grocery Outlet will cut the ribbon Thursday at 10 a.m. The store, located at 598 Cranbrook Road, has 32 employees. It replaces a Merritt Fitness Club at the same location.

This is the third Grocery Outlet in Baltimore County and the 10th in Maryland. The other stores are in:

Salisbury
Elkton
Edgewood
Owings Mills
Eldersburg
Catonsville
Glen Burnie
Calverton
Hagerstown

The chain, based in Emeryville, California, is still new to Maryland.

Grocery Outlet debuted in the Old Line State in June 2022 in Hagerstown. Another two stores opened that year, followed by five in 2023. Cockeysville will be the second Maryland location to open this year. Calverton was the first.

"We are so excited to be expanding Grocery Outlet’s footprint with our new location in Cockeysville," Layla Kasha, Grocery Outlet chief new store growth officer, told Patch in a Wednesday statement. "We couldn’t ask for better operators than Zully Gomez Melendez and Egberto Torres."

With over 520 stores nationwide, Grocery Outlet is still expanding.

The chain broke ground on a Randallstown location in July. Another store is planned at the Annapolis Mall in the current location of JCPenney, which is slated for redevelopment. The recent sale of the mall could complicate those plans, however.

The Cockeysville grand opening will feature plenty of festivities.

The store's independent operators will donate $1,000 to Cool Kids Campaign, which supports children with cancer. The nonprofit has a Towson office.

Starting at 8 a.m., the first 100 customers will get a Bliss Buck gift card worth mystery amounts ranging from $5 to $500. While supplies last, shoppers will get one free reusable bag with their purchase during opening week.

Customers can also enter to win $1,000 in free groceries from Sept. 16 through Oct. 24.

"If you’ve never been to a Grocery Outlet before, we are looking forward to getting to know you and providing you and your family with new options for high-quality, affordable produce, meat and groceries," Kasha said. "And if you’re familiar with us, we can’t wait to surprise you with something new."

This map shows the location of the new Cockeysville Grocery Outlet.