The Grocery Outlet on Marin Street in Vallejo underwent a health-conscious makeover yesterday, and consumers will get to see these changes with a celebration at the store Thursday.

The discount grocery chain was the eighth in Solano County to receive a “Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community” makeover from VibeSolano Alliance, a coalition of stakeholders consisting of community and nonprofit organizations, schools, city and council staff and local residents, who joined forces with volunteers to provide labor for the healthy makeover, which was spearheaded by the nonprofit Vallejo Together and received assistance from Solano’s public health department.

According to Sahra Pak, a public health nutritionist with Solano County’s Health and Social Services Department, the need for the “Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community” campaign came from a survey that was administered more than 200 convenience and grocery stores throughout the county. The survey showed that a lot of the stores sold sugary beverages, tobacco and alcohol, yet were frequently patronized by students.

“We wanted to offer more healthy options for residents in our county,” Pak said.

As a result, the county has been working with interested business owners to promote healthier food options by showcasing items like fruits and nuts near the front of the stores and taking down tobacco advertisements from store windows.

“We clean up the stores so that it’s inviting and friendly for customers that may not go to the store on a regular basis,” Pak said.

The first store to receive a makeover was Bob’s Food & Liquor in Benicia in May 2016. It was later followed by the Fairfield Grocery Outlet, Dixon Food & Liquor in Dixon, Port of Call in Suisun City, and Bourbon House, B&J Liquor and Food, and the Magazine Street 7-Eleven in Vallejo. Pak said Vallejo stores receive a special focus because some neighborhoods are considered “food deserts,” where residents are far away from stores that provide healthy products. In fact, when the Grocery Outlet on Marin Street opened in 2015, Pak said it reduced the number of residents living in a food desert.

Pak said store owners Karen and Matt Amaro were very interested in making a healthier change.

“(Karen) is into fitness and nutrition, so she wanted to keep improving her store to create a healthier environment,” Pak said.

Another factor, according to Pak, was that the store was close to apartment complexes and residential areas, so citizens often walk to Grocery Outlet to do their shopping.

Among the changes are increased visibility of water and unsweetened beverages and a new checkout area featuring nuts and fresh produce— rather than chips and candy— as well as non-food items like birthday cards, USB cords and sunscreen for potential impulse purchases.

“A lot of people pick up last-minute items at checkout, so we’d like to create a healthier environment for parents and kids at checkout as well,” Pak said. “We are trying to shift the norm of what a checkout looks like and what a store looks like so that kids grow up being able to access healthier beverages and foods.”

Initially, one aisle will be designated as a healthy checkout aisle, but the Amaros plan on expanding it further.

“We care about improving health and fitness in our community,” Karen Amaro said in a statement. “Our goal is to make it easier to find healthy foods in our neighborhoods. Providing healthy items at our checkout is only the beginning!”

Additionally, this year’s work is being funded by a grant from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which has provided a local cleaning business to professionally clean the storefront for the makeover.

“They were getting into the nooks and crannies and beautifying to get everything sparkling clean,” Pak said.

The makeover celebration will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2 at Grocery Outlet, located at 401 Marin St. in Vallejo. The Amaros will welcome visitors to view the changes and provide samples of new foods available. Additionally, local chef Lisa Nunez-Hancock will provide Mexican entrees using ingredients from Grocery Outlet, and Leah’s Pantry will kick off food demonstrations which it will continue to provide for four weeks after the event.

Overall, Pak hopes the healthy store makeovers will continue to improve the communities at large.

“We would really hope to continue changing our environment,” she said. “The healthy choice is the easy choice.”

For more information, visit VibeSolano.com.