Community Corner

Happy Produce on Solano Reborn Again – as 'Albany Fresh Produce'

The Happy Produce market on Solano Avenue in Albany reopened on Monday, and the new management said the long-established business is getting a new name, "Albany Fresh Produce."

The Happy Produce market on Solano Avenue in Albany is back in business again – having reopened under new management Monday.

The business at 1240 Solano Ave. just west of the BART tracks had a short, three-month run under the previous owner, Maria Valencia, who opened the market with celebratory free tamales on Aug. 24. Before she took over, it had been closed since June 2012 after 34 years as a family-run enterprise.

Greeting customers Monday was a new face, store manager Miguel Hassan, who said Valencia closed her operation last week.

Hassan said he and the business' new owner, Abdul Mohamed, wanted to reopen as soon as possible and quickly brought in fresh produce and packaged foods for the shelves.

"We didn't want to keep it closed," he said. "We wanted to get something for the neighbors as soon as possible."

One change will be a new name, "Albany Fresh Produce," Hassan said. The new sign will probably be up sometime next week, he said.

Hassan said the market will have organic offerings as well as meats, including halal meat, which meets Islamic dietary standards.

He also said he is also inviting customer requests for items to carry.

Hassan and Mohamed have another, five-year-old grocery in Oakland, La Raza Market on International Boulevard, Hassan said.

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