Green Leaf Grocery Market brings grocery back to historic West Berkeley building

A new neighborhood grocery store has popped up on the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Cedar Street, across from Acme Bread, in a space formerly occupied by Animal Farm Discount Pet Foods. Green Leaf Grocery Market sells a variety of canned and packaged foods, with an emphasis on organic goods, according to owner Moheeb Eltareb.

Eltareb grew up working in his parent’s liquor store in Merced, but he has a very different vision for Green Leaf.

“I’m  not a big fan of liquor stores,” he said. “So I came up with the idea to do organic.”

The shop is currently in “soft opening” mode, with a full grand opening scheduled for a few months down the road when city permits are in place and Green Leaf can begin carrying fresh produce. 

Eltareb looked all around the Bay Area for a space, including San Francisco and Richmond, before finding the corner spot in Berkeley. It’s an ideal location for a local grocery store, catering to both the food-obsessed masses that line up at Acme each day looking to buy brie for their baguettes, and to neighborhood denizens — including residents of the Golden Bear Hotel in the same intersection — looking for inexpensive food options.

Eltareb currently has one employee, but is working long, 12-hour days himself as the business gets up and running.

Green Leaf is a return of sorts for the landmarked building, which originally housed another grocery store called the Fullen Market. The location was also home to the Rivoli Delicatessen and Salami Factory, according to a plaque installed on the side of the building. 

“Tempting aromas lured prospective customers inside,” reads the plaque, “as they waited for the streetcar under the store’s retractable awning.”

While the streetcars are long gone, the “tempting aromas” may return again, especially once Eltareb opens a deli inside the store, one of his long term goals. 

In the meantime, he’s settling into the neighborhood, and plans to soon move to Berkeley from his current home in San Francisco. 

“It’s great meeting lovely people in the neighborhood every day,” he said.

Green Leaf Delight Market, 1531 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Connect via Instagram.