Lathrop is getting another grocery store.

And this time, it’s the type that people in the South County have been requesting for some time.

Last week Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal announced that Sprouts Farmer’s Market – the privately owned, Arizona-based chain with hundreds of stores across the United States – would soon call Lathrop home with plans to open a store in the Lathrop Marketplace Shopping Center that is most well known as the location of Lathrop’s Target store.

The shopping center is also home to both Starbucks and In-N-Out.

“Sprouts Farmers Market has selected the Lathrop Marketplace shopping center as a site for its future home,” Dhaliwal said in the announcement, which quickly racked up hundreds of social media reactions and dozens of shares. “As our community grows, the need for additional retail opportunities to serve Lathrop residents is highly desired.

“On behalf of the city council, please join me in rolling out the red carpet to welcome Sprouts to the City of Lathrop.”

For years Lathrop residents had only the old Delta Market on Louise Avenue to purchase their groceries until Save Mart came to Lathrop as the anchor of a new retail shopping center at Harlan and Lathrop Roads.

Since that grocery store opened in 2005 Lathrop has nearly tripled in size and is expected to continue growing for years to come – opening the door for the city to receive the retail offerings that traditionally had been reserved only its neighbors.

The Lathrop location will be the third in the Northern San Joaquin Valley for the Arizona-based company, which already operates stores in both Lodi and Modesto.

Sprouts Farmer’s Market is known for offering a range of natural and organic foods including fresh produce, meat and seafood, bulk goods, vitamins and supplements, and other health-based products for health-conscious consumers.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.