Walmart Neighborhood Market Opens in San Ramon

San Ramon welcomed the Bay Area's first-ever Walmart Neighborhood Market for its grand opening on Wednesday.

The new store, located off Alcosta in the Country Club Village Shopping Center, sits on a 50,000-square-foot storefront zoned by the city for a grocery store. It hasn't been occupied since 2010.

Though San Ramon is the first Bay Area location where a Neighborhood Market opened, another one is expected to open in San Jose next month and a store in Pleasanton is planned for the middle of next year.

The parking lot was almost full around 10 a.m. and Walmart spokesman Deborah Herron said foot traffic was "steady" throughout the morning.

(Related: Walmart Neighborhood Market Opening Wednesday in San Ramon)

Patrons can find many of same amenities in the Neighborhood Market that can be found in other area grocery stores. The store has a pharmacy, a self-serve deli and bakery, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, along with a full line of groceries. The store is open 24 hours a day.

San Ramon resident Mindy Maciey visited the store Wednesday. Though she wasn't overly impressed, she said that having a grocery store in the shopping center is convenient.

"It's nice just have a place close by where you can get milk and bread for the kids," Maciey said. "It's good to have something close to home."

Before opening, the company donated about $20,000 to local community groups.

Walmart gave $5,000 to the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation, $5,000 to the Sentinels of Freedom, route: {:controller=>"listings", :action=>"show", :id=>"sentinels-of-freedom-2"} -->, $5,000 to the and $2,000 to and and $2,000 to