Sprouts Farmers Market Opens on El Cajon Boulevard: What It Means for North Park Grocery Jobs

SAN DIEGO, CA — The lights are back on at 3245 El Cajon Boulevard. Sprouts Farmers Market opened its new North Park store on Friday, October 2, filling the building that sat dark after the beloved Pancho Villa Farmers Market closed in early 2025. For job seekers in North Park, Normal Heights and City Heights, that means a full-size grocery employer close to home, with Sprouts saying the store would staff 80 to 100 full- and part-time team members.

A new grocery anchor on El Cajon Boulevard, a fresh round of store jobs, and no grocery experience required to apply.

Ready to search? Jump straight to the grocery job links and start applying →

📍 At a Glance

Business	Sprouts Farmers Market (store #491)
Opened	Friday, October 2, 2026
Address	3245 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104
Size	About 22,700 square feet
Hours	7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Concept	Specialty grocery: produce, deli, meat and seafood, bulk foods, vitamins, beer and wine
Industry	Grocery retail
New jobs	80 to 100 full- and part-time positions, per Sprouts
Store phone	619-935-3144

From Pancho Villa to Sprouts: A Familiar Corner Gets a New Grocer

For two decades, the corner near Interstate 805 belonged to Pancho Villa Farmers Market, the neighborhood's go-to for fresh tortillas and Mexican groceries. Its closure in early 2025 left a real gap on the boulevard.

Sprouts confirmed the takeover that spring, landed city approval to sell beer and wine in March 2026, and held a 6:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting on opening day. The store's own opening announcement lays out the layout: produce at the center of the floor, a full deli, a meat and seafood counter, a bulk department and a vitamin aisle with thousands of supplements. Every one of those departments needs people.

💼 The Jobs Inside a Sprouts Store

A store this size runs on shifts from early produce prep before the 7 a.m. open to closing after 10 p.m. Typical departments include:

Front end: cashiers and customer service, the most common entry point.
Produce: stocking, rotating and building displays, the heart of the Sprouts floor.
Deli and prepared foods: sandwiches, bowls and sushi.
Meat and seafood: counter service, with skilled meat cutter roles for experienced hands.
Grocery, bulk and vitamins: stocking, ordering and helping shoppers navigate the shelves.
Leadership: department managers and assistant store managers.

The Sprouts careers site says the company provides training, so a first grocery job is realistic here. One honest note: the 80 to 100 figure is the staffing level Sprouts announced before opening, and the company hasn't said how many positions remain open now. Expect ongoing postings as schedules settle, and check the careers site for this store specifically.

A Grocery Hiring Wave Across San Diego

Sprouts isn't alone. Whole Foods just opened downtown, and Trader Joe's is heading to Clairemont and San Marcos. If grocery is your lane, apply to more than one: each chain hires on its own schedule. We've covered both of those openings in separate articles, linked below in Related Reading.

🔎 Start Your Grocery Job Search

Search Sprouts directly, then cast a wider net across grocery roles from Mid-City to the rest of the county.

Start here:

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the new Sprouts on El Cajon Boulevard open?

Friday, October 2, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting at 6:45 a.m. and grand opening giveaways running through that weekend.

Where is the store?

3245 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104, near Interstate 805 where North Park meets Normal Heights, in the former Pancho Villa Farmers Market building.

How many people will work there?

Sprouts said the store would employ 80 to 100 full- and part-time team members. It has not said how many of those jobs are still open after opening day.

Do I need grocery experience to apply?

No. Sprouts says it provides the training. Experience helps for skilled roles like meat cutter and for management positions.

How do I apply?

Online, through the Sprouts careers site. Search for the El Cajon Boulevard store, or start with the job links above.

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