The launch of a new eco-based, health-friendly store just down the street from Foothill had many students venturing off campus today during lunch.

A mixture of excitement and curiosity filled the aisles of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market during the store’s grand debut.

To celebrate the grand opening, employees passed out chicken noodle soup, peanut butter pretzels, lemonade, chips with salsa and even meatloaf. Customers were also offered free water bottles while standing in line.

Students were obviously pleased with the outcome of a store after the long wait since the beginning of the store’s construction in early fall of 2009.

Junior Sukhpreet Bains walked down to Fresh & Easy during her lunch with a group of friends.

“It definitely changes everything. The prices are reasonable and the food selection is absolutely great.”

The compact store even became too crowded as more and more customers piled in,  making it nearly impossible to navigate the small aisles. The line to purchase grocery items extended beyond the presumed wait, winding into nearby aisles.

Fresh & Easy pledges its products to being simple and affordable. The new market differs from the average convenience store, promising to exclude elements such as preservatives and artificial coloring from their own “Fresh & Easy” products.

“Our main motto is ‘Ingredients you can pronounce.’ We focus ourselves on staying healthy,” said Shelley, an employee who declined to provide her last name.

However, the new neighborhood market doesn’t just stock the shelves with their own brand but also includes familiar, large company brands such as Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, and Pillsbury.

Fresh & Easy supplies their customers from a variety of products ranging from Kleenex to Oral-B’s Disney Princess Toothbrush and Frozen Mango Yogurt to Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich.

“Gatorades are ninty-nine cents. They are cheaper than the bottles sold at the school for more quantity,” said Foothill junior Rachael Garnett.

Fresh & Easy also lends a hand to the environment by installing equipment such as LED lighting, limiting the amount of energy used throughout the store, self-check out lines, and oversized windows to produce natural lighting and less electricity. Fresh & Easy also recycles all display and shipping materials, like cardboard boxes and plastic crates.

Photo: Shoppers examine new food selections at the new market on the corner of Day Road and Telegraph Avenue. Photo by Lauren Parrino, The Foothill Dragon Press.