Hispanic supermarket closer to opening in Fresno. It’s hiring 140 workers
El Super, the Hispanic grocery store moving into Manchester Center in central Fresno, is one step closing to opening.
The store is gearing up for a June opening in the former Sears store near Shields and Blackstone avenues.
It’s hiring up to 140 employees.
The supermarket is holding a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 1 at the Smart & Final Extra! store at 2425 Blackstone Ave. (Smart & Final, Fiesta Mart and El Super are part of the same company.)
Job applicants can also apply online.
El Super is looking for department managers and assistant managers, meat cutters, cake decorators, bakers, cooks, and other skilled positions.
What is El Super?
The Fresno Bee shared the news of El Super headed to the former Sears at 3636 N. Blackstone Ave. in September of 2023. Since then, the company has been relatively quiet while it worked inside the building and got its liquor license.
Although not as well known in the area as Vallarta with its four locations in Fresno and Clovis, people in southeast Fresno know El Super well for its large supermarket on Tulare Avenue at First Street. El Super has 69 stores in California and southwestern states.
It’s a full grocery store with a meat and seafood counters, a tortillería making fresh tortillas and a panaderia/bakery with all kinds of baked goods, including pan dulce, the Mexican sweet bread.
Prepared foods are also available, including ceviche, burritos, pupusas and drinks such as aguas frescas.
What’s up with Manchester?
The former Sears closed in early 2020, after more than 50 years in business.
Although connected to the mall, the Sears building has a different owner. Sacramento-based Ethan Conrad Properties bought the 52,896-square-foot former department store.
Ross and dd’s DISCOUNTS opened in a portion of that building in 2021.
Next door, the owner of one of the oldest and most recognizable malls in Fresno went public last summer with plans to turn much of the mall into 600 apartments. It will be renamed “One Fresno at Manchester Center” (a name borrowed from Mayor Jerry Dyer’s vision for the city).
The permit for creating the first 221 apartments has been approved by the city, pending payment of fees by the developer, according to the City of Fresno.
The build-out will add amenities like fitness/workout space, quiet rooms and an outdoor area with pool and shaded areas. At the same time, the center will be aggressively pursing leases for more than 100,000-square-feet of retail space that will remain at the center.
The first phase of the three-phase project could take 18 to 20 months.
Fresno Bee reporter Joshua Tehee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
