Historically undeveloped, the 37-acre site at the corner of Whitney Ranch Parkway and University Avenue has sat as an empty stretch of dry land. But in early 2025, the construction of the Whitney Ranch Shopping Center led to the clearing of vacant land. From grading and excavating to the construction of buildings, the site officially shifted from a total construction zone to a functioning storefront. While the surrounding retail pads remain under development, Nugget Market has finished stocking its shelves to become the first business in the center to open its doors.
“I used to always run over to that empty field during track practice, and I’ve seen all the construction that has happened,” Amelia Speck said. “ It was empty for such a long period during the construction, so it’s interesting to finally see a building that is open for business.”
In early 2023, the City of Rocklin approved the Whitney Ranch Shopping Center. The project is northern Rocklin’s first major commercial center, featuring the Nugget Market as the anchor store alongside other upcoming restaurants and retail stores.
“Since there’s not really a grocery store that’s in the Rocklin or Lincoln community, we wanted to develop a complex to give to the community, but also to the high schools and the younger community as well,” Assistant Store Manager Abbey Moore said.
Residents in the area have been expecting the Nugget to open since late 2025. After months of being pushed back, the family-owned grocery store officially hosted its grand opening April 15 at 7 a.m. The morning began with customers lined up as early as 5:30 a.m., waiting for doors to open.
“We had 20 vendors sampling products to our guests throughout the day; we also had four food trucks outside,” Moore said. “We were also doing giveaways, so the first 200 guests who spent over $100 got a Nugget bag filled with a bunch of Nugget goodies. It was a great day overall, and we were busy from open to close.”
Before the opening, students and residents would shop at the Nugget located on Pleasant Grove. But given the closer proximity to the Whitney Ranch neighborhood and school, many students are planning on making the new location their daily stop.
“Having a closer location means that there’s gonna be less crowds in the Roseville one, and people just get to experience new architecture in a new location, and it’s pretty nice,” Elizabeth Papkov said.
To keep up with the large crowds of people, especially high schoolers, the Nugget offers a variety of quick snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
“A big thing that we’ve noticed has grown is our coffee bar, along with the vitality bowls and the smoothies,” Moore said. “We also offer sandwiches, grab-and-go lunch boxes that our deli prepares and sweet treats from our bakery that students can easily grab.”
Beyond providing a closer place to shop, the new Nugget is also creating a wave of local employment opportunities for students. The new store offers a rare chance to work a part-time job within walking distance of school, filling roles from courtesy clerks to baristas at the in-store coffee bar.
“I’ve worked at Sunsplash and a tuxedo shop called Express and neither of them comes close to my time working in Nugget on Pleasant Grove,” Carson Davis said. “Everyone is super social and on top of that Nugget does tons of random events. Once, I got $50 just for getting a compliment card from a guest. I think it is an amazing job and I’m sad when I go to college I won’t be able to work there.”
Nugget Market is also known for its Community Scrip Program, which supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits and K-12 educational institutions. This means the store won’t just be a place to buy food, but a possible future partner for local organizations and schools.
“The Community Scrip Program would be something that the school or an organization within the school sets up,” Moore said. “We have script cards in the store that the school or the organization can request. Then we hand those out, they activate it through our website and kind of go from there.”
Currently, the Nugget is the only open store in the shopping center. But other restaurants and stores are expected to open over the summer, including Jack’s Urban Eats, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, NuYo Frozen Yogurt, Great Clips, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Poppy Bank, a Quick Quack Car Wash and more.
Papkov said, “I feel like the lineup is pretty solid because you can get grocery shopping done and then go out for a little bite. I’m really excited for Chipotle and Nuyo because those are just good hangout spots for teens, since we usually go get something yummy to eat or hang out in random grocery stores.”
by LARA DE VALK & PAIGE FRIESEN
