New Leaf Community Markets - Capitola

Beautiful new store, recently opened. I stopped in for my lunch break. It was early in the morning and was able to grab a hot breakfast. Scrambled eggs, and some sausage. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Everyone seemed to be happy and made the environment pleasant. I aprreciate the outdoor table and chairs. Plenty of parking.

Great looking store and really clean in and outside of the store. The customer relations is 5-Star! The selection is vast and with lots of healthy selections for your conscious. I love the smell of the fresh food being created and delivered to the customers waiting. A definitely must for the area and I will definitely be shopping here.

Beautiful hot bar and forced to use as they consistently run out of rotisserie chickens but it magically is always on the hot bar at a much higher cost? Tried to speak to a manager Juan) about it as constructive feedback and he just told me how the hot bar is more as it is measured by weight and that it is “my choice” to purchase. Super disappointed in the stores service level especially when they charge such higher prices than other groceries. Lost a customer in me tonight…

I used to go to New Leaf downtown before they closed, but this location is closer, and much better! The store is spacious, so it doesn't feel cramped while you're looking for your groceries. On top of fresh local produce and other goodies, they offer coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and have a deli where all the meat is labeled by origin. Some things that stand out to me are their coffee selection, wellness section, and the overall atmosphere of the store. Parking here is also a cinch!

Clean with a huge vitamin and supplement section. The Poke bar is great but lacks toppings. The Poke Bar in HMB had more toppings. But still nice to have a poke bar option.

As a former east sider, and a grocery store aficionado, I was supppper excited to stop into this new location (to me) recently while I was back in town visiting my locally based family. The produce, hot/cold bars, the layout…the vibes, oh my! Juan the GM was so kind and accommodating on my questions, and Adriana at the bbq counter was helpful and sweet. Tysm NL Capitola for giving me all the tingles. Your my family’s and my favorite grocery store and I’m so happy you have a beautiful new store in town.

When I lived in the area, I shopped here frequently. Large free parking lot. Nice health food section. Vegetables displayed beautifully. In store Bakery. 10% discount for seniors on certain days . Community minded store.

Not only are prices high but cashiers expect customers to bag your whole order. I had a big order today. Bagged the whole thing myself. He started ringing up another customer and I’m still bagging. Asked him to help me first and he just didn’t. I’m done.

This store kinda reminds me of nuggets with beautiful display of different foods. They had a lot of choices as far as the salad bar, sushi, and some deli options. I got the california sushi roll. It was tasty but a bit dry. I probably won't order their sushi again unless I see them make it fresh. The produce were pretty good and I was amazed by their parmesan reggiano display. Customer service was great. Our cashier was friendly and professional. Parking lot was a little busy but didn't have a problem looking for a spot. IT's a shared parking with other businesses.

DO NOT BUY NEW LEAF GIFT CARDS THEY DO NOT WORK!! This is a known problem at New Leaf and will require a manager to use your gift card. Unless you enjoy a line of pissed off customers waiting on you to use your gift card - Avoid buying these until they get it fixed.

My original review still stands - they have NOT improved or changed their dog policy. They need to have a docent at the front door to tell people ABSOLUTELY NO DOGS. Do you like dog farts on your food? Do you like dog hair in your food? If so, go to New Leaf's salad bar! If not, go elsewhere. The level of entitlement that New Leaf enables among its customers is DISGUSTING. If you care about your health, or want to patronize a business that isn't scared to hold its customers accountable, DO NOT SHOP HERE! This was the last straw for me to be quite honest. I left my grocery cart and walked straight out. For PROOF, please look at the attached photo. What they let fly here is ridiculous.

I had a lovely experience perusing the aisles of this beautiful store, which was bright, clean and fully stocked. The aisles were well spaced and the layout of the store flowed nicely. The highlight of this store in my opinion is the local beer (Laughing Monk) selection and the gorgeous poke bar because the poke looked so incredibly fresh! I've never seen anything like it at any grocery store. Unfortunately I didn't try any because I came in for something else, but I'd go back just to give it a try. A local recommended the hot lava poke, if you like it spicy.

This store is beautiful! I've been in the grocery business for 33 years now retired and have seen and worked in many stores. I look at different things I'm told. We moved around easily without bumping into things. I got to talk with a couple employees and they were very helpful but the fellow taking great care of the beer was the best, taking the time to explain the layout of the beer case and giving some helpful advice. All the departments were well stocked and face-up. The floors and glass doors were clean. Living in Salinas which is 35 miles away we don't have anything at this level of grocery. Because it's not sustainable. Good job New Leaf. Last words...70 miles round trip.

Usually, I sing the praises of New Leaf. Today I had a not so pleasant experience with the guy checker in the last aisle. First, his attitude suggested he had no interest in being there - unfriendly, preoccupied. I made clear to him that I was a senior for the Tuesday Senior discount. He acknowledged (grudgingly) and then didn't give me the discount, which I discovered when I returned home. Also, I asked him to put tape on two of my soups. He said "What?" like I was asking him for a handout or something. I had to explain to him twice. He did (grudgingly) tape them, but I was so "put off" by his attitude and behavior, I vowed never to go to his station again! Come on New Leaf, you're better than this. Hire people who appreciate having a job or, at least, can demonstrate some modicum of pleasantness while doing it?

I had a terrible experience at New Leaf today. An employee came up to me and said, "somebody was watching you and told me they saw you use a nail polish, so I need you to tell me which one you touched so I can throw it away." Completely rude and unnecessary. There were no visible testers or signs saying you couldn't try it, and in any normal store it's understood that people test polish before buying. Then at checkout, the cashiers ignored me and gave attitude like the whole staff was in on it. As a woman of color, I shouldn't have to feel watched and disrespected just to buy groceries. For a place that claims "community" and "wellness," this store is the opposite.

My friend told me about the poke at new leaf and it's soo good! The ahi and salmon is fresh and the selection is reliable. They have good sides as well to pair the poke. It was efficient, easy. and more importantly yummy! Definitely will be going back when i crave poke.

I got a honey latte and it's so amazing! The ladies were incredibly sweet, give them a try if you haven't yet! Also if you haven't been to the new leaf, you are MISSING out. It's a beautiful store with many amazing employees

Have all the good food options but where they lack is customer service and inaccurate labeling of prices on fresh juices. The bottle says "total price $9.00" but they add .50 for the glass bottle. So this is misleading. The Deli people suck. Not friendly and aren't available to help when store opens. Otherwise, store looks great, is organized, and bright.

A coworker recommended Sam's Fire Water (perfect to help with head cold congestion). The employees at the juice bar would even acknowledge me standing there for about 3 minutes; they were chatting about (anything else) and when one of the gals asked me what I wanted well, it felt like she was over it (her job). I went for a second time to get some more and same ole same ole. I also didn't realize they put SYRUP in the drink!!! As I understand it, syrup isn't the healthiest of ingredients which is a bit disappointing being that the sign on their juice bar states "all healthy and fresh". More than anything, it's poor customer service!

I have been shopping at New Leaf for 20 years. I'll admit I was a bit hesitant about their moving to a larger location. However, I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful the store is and how absolutely well thought everything is!! I've never had such an easy time finding what I need at any other grocery store I've shopped at. What I have always appreciated is the quality of the products and the people that work at New Leaf grocery stores. They work with local produce and dairy farmers. They bring in fresh bread from local bakeries like Companion Bakery. There is a level of commitment to the community that I really appreciate, as each time I shop I can choose to donate to local non profits. There always a chart up to see what they donated and how much. The employees are great people, and over the years I have made friends with many of them. The old store was sweet, and I loved it. The new store somehow managed to take it to a whole other amazing level. You can tell they went all out to make sure the store surpassed the communities expectations. I give it 20 out of 5 stars and look forward to shopping for another 20 years!! Thanks New Leaf for always doing such a tremendous job!!

As someone who used to work at the Capitola Whole Foods with the manager, Mike they hired to open this store I can say this store is MIND BLOWING. It's huge, beautiful and very well taken care of. The Poke bar is amazing. They did a fantastic job with this new location. The staff are friendly and helpful, I go whenever I am in town!

The new location on 41st in Capitola is amazing!!! This is where Lucky Supermarket was once located. Today was the GRAND opening and it sure was GRAND! I'm glad I went! When I first walked in my eyes filled up from joy. Sounds crazy but I was amazed how beautiful it looked. Very light, clean and modern. The vibe was incredible. Everything from the fruits and veggies to the cheeses on the shelves were merchandised so well! The Poke Bar, Sushi Showcase, Coffee and Juice Bar, Barbecue Bar, and etc were highly stocked. Since I bought the Poke and Sushi...I'm happy to taste such quality. Delish! The staff was sooo helpful and seemed excited as well! They are always so friendly! Even though we were all bumping into each other, we were all happy and smiling. Boy oh boy....they have put WholeFoods to shame! Wow..we are so fortunate to have this beautiful store in Santa Cruz! Thank you!!!

I like New Leaf, and my whole family has been long time shoppers here. The new location in Capitola seems very nice, nice layout but the smell as soon as you enter is unbearable, it seems like they have a ventilation issue, I remember the previous store Lucky had the same smell. They also have some pretty rude employees there. This used to be my favorite store but unfortunately things gone down hill.

Brand new location (Nov 2024). With much bigger space and with a very wide selection of foods.

I generally like New Leaf because it's a clean store and they have a lot of organic food and foods/products that are generally less processed. And I like their bulk items, and deli/prepared foods. I also love the coupons they periodically mail out. Things I don't really like: * Super high prices (often a few dollar difference from other places for the same product) * At the meat counter, they pack raw chicken in such a mess - like the bag they put the chicken in and the paper wrapper around it are all covered in raw chicken juice. Super gross to handle, and makes a huge mess everywhere when I try to get the chicken out of the package at home. This has happened every time I have purchased raw chicken at the counter there (4+ times so far) * Check out can take a while (long lines) * Seeing dogs in the store - understood that service dogs are allowed, but it seems that more than just service dogs are there. Not sanitary

My favorite place to come get a delicious organic smoothie. The juice bar crew is pleasant and helpful, always down to help me pick a good drink!

Much improved check out was efficient polite and downright helpful, much better selection than staff life or Whole Foods down the street especially the Pasha chocolate chips and Luca Luna or Coconut Bliss ice cream very very impressed with the plant-based offerings and the produce looked more local and all organic.. Thank you for being open and also the specialty Breads in the Frozen food section are abundant and usually hard to find elsewhere

From the moment you walk into this new location you are overwhelmed with colorful creative displays, abundant grocery items, deli, pizza, sushi, soups, sandwich bar, salad bar and hot bar that offer everything you could possibly imagine and more. In addition, they offer fantastic juice bar and extensive selection of vitamins and supplements. It's very impressive at every turn. Every staff member we encountered was welcoming and helpful. We will definitely be back and appreciate the hard work and planning that went into creating this beautiful store.

Great products and service. I needed galangal and they were out. The produce guy ordered me some and promised there the next day and he came through, thanks New Leaf.

The staff stocking and helping you find products were doing their job but the exit counter lead was inappropriate and also checker was rude and should be fired for hate speech. It's too bad that with the opening of something we were all excited about, I am out!!!

This review is for both the old and new Capitola New Leaf. Of course the new store is stunningly beautiful and well-stocked, but the staff are still the best thing about it. So many of the folks have been working at New Leaf for years and have been a source of stability, kindness and genuine care to shoppers. Y'all are rockstars!

People don't respect the parking areas and park were ever they please and the establishment dose not help there neighboring businesses they just let their client do as a please. This is not a way to grow partnerships in between businesses

this new store is beyond amazing. I am so happy I gave them a chance. I only went in for meat..l got a wagyu new york and a piece of salmon. the butcher shop is phenomenal...I will definitely be back...the quality of the meat does not compare to any other store. the pricing is great. customer service is great. so blessed to have access to such great quality food! will definitely be back!

I love the new store it is beautiful! I love that they don't have merchandise racks blocking the aisles like at Safeway. I actually have to dodge the staff instead because there are so many. Anyways, I will continue to shop here. It is fantastic.

This is one of those grocery stores where you can't get everything you need but you can find some things that you can't find anywhere else. For example, you won't find any of your favorite zero calorie flavored water. But you will find Paul Newman fat free fig Newmans. Immaculately clean store with a friendly staff. Very convenient to the Fairfield inn & suites hotel, right across the street.

I was excited about the new New Leaf opening and when I first had gone in there shortly after it had opened, I was pleasantly surprised at the friendly customer service. At the old location I found the customer service was dismal and not welcoming or friendly. I've gone to the new location many times now and am disappointed that some of the workers from the old location are now working at this wonderful new location...bringing their terrible customer service skills with them. It's disappointing because once again I have to seek help if needed. I mean really, is it that hard to put a smile on your face and at least fake that you like your job?? If not, get out of the customer service industry!

New store is very nice with lots of variety but prices are disgusting. $3.50 for an small organic crown of broccoli, $8 for regular Clover milk and list can go on. It somehow seems even more expensive than Whole Foods. Quality doesn't warrant insane premium pricing

Worst website. I tried to log in to order a holiday turkey. I got a message they recognized me but had to migrate me to their new system. I filled out the form. They sent me an email with a code to confirm my identity. I got a message saying the code didn't natch the one they sent. I checked and it was the right code. I tried again. They sent a new code. Then I got another message saying it didn't match. I tried for 3 days. I tried forgot my password. Same response. There is no way to cancel my account and start over. There is no way to order as a guest once your email is in their system. THEY NEED TO FIX THIS!

Not as shiny or new as aptos or Westside but it's still nice. Good selection just like the other ones but I prefer the Aptos location over this one.

Lots of organic produce and other organic products here, which is nice, but the prices are sky-high. Their baked goods have far too much sugar, so I've learned to avoid those, unfortunately. However, the staff is great--very helpful.

Fernando produce employee. Always tremendous help. Very well mannered. NLCM needs more Fernando's. Unfortunately they don't !!!!

While they have products I enjoy (although they ditched the super awesome unsweetened hemp milk they used to carry) I am primarily rating their deli. I've worked at two very busy deli's and I am utterly appalled at how slow the employees make sandwiches. I can complete all of my shopping, and my order is still not up. It's so aggravating, that I finally threw in the towel. I will NEVER ordered another sandwich from them again, even if I'm already in the store. And I get charged for things that aren't on the sandwich, like avocado. And who only puts condiments on one slice of bread! I asked for extra oil & vinegar and got the slightest drops on one slice and the other slice was just bone dry. They're not worth any of my money, much less the exorbitant amount they charge.

Walked in for 2 sandwiches today at 2:06pm, filled out two sandwich forms and waited almost 30 minutes for the two sandwiches to be made. There was no one else in front of us. A fellow at the deli asked if we had been helped and i shared that we were waiting for our food, he went to check with the staff and he came hack and sort of shrugged. When the sandwich was finally done I went to the register to pay and I asked the cashier why it took that long to make two sandwiches and all he said was something about them being really good sandwiches....? He even said he noticed us waiting around there for a while and we were still standing there after his lunch. Even on their busiest days, the downtown location never has me waiting longer than ten minutes and I have never gotten any smart remarks from staff. I'd have more empathy for the staff if someone at least explained there is a staff shortage or if the employee was training or whatever the reason. I didn't get any of that. The sandwich itself had something musty tasting in it and I will totally let people know to avoid that whole location entirely.

Love this place! Great smoothies and juice bar offerings. Adding a picture so you don't have to dig Thru everything to find the menu. Love the hot bar and the breadth of selections overall!

I have never encountered such HORRIBLE customer service anywhere in Santa Cruz County. If you wish the hand basket to be emptied, ask with kindness and respect and make sure you have a sign at the check out counter to alert shoppers to do so. The checker demanded that I empty the basket - I placed it on the moving counter. I shop there from time to time and have never been asked to empty the hand basket, never. I have had checkers tell me that it is not necessary. I do not plan to shop there again.

Terribly disappointed today- I bought a thanksgiving dinner for two for me and my roommate(not cheap! $70)- picked it up yesterday thinking it would be nice and fresh for today, WRONG! Everything was wrong with this dinner! From the dry turkey slices to the sour tasting buttermilk mashed potatoes! The dressing was dry- was I supposed to add something to it? I'm sorry you advertised this as ready to eat just heat and serve- big let down! So much for my nice sit down dinner with my roommate- all prepared to nosh and have a good time! I'm heading straight over tomorrow with my grievances and anticipating a full refund! We shall see... pumpkin pie was ok and so was the gravy and cranberry sauce- everything else gets tossed!

The "customer service" at Capitola New Leaf is punishing. I returned a damaged product (not food) and was dismissed as if I should have known it was not retrunable. The Manager seemed to have a chip on her shoulder. She was snippy, impatient, unaccountable, unapologetic and I ended up feeling guilty for bringing this broken product to her attention. It would be a far cry for me to shop there again, EVER. So sad, because New Leaf used to be a friendly place to go. Sorry, but you have lost me as a customer.

OK. I have a legitimately honest curiosity about this; I go in this store maybe 2-5x a month. Its a grocery, basic stuff I suppose and good supplements section. They pretty much always have things in stock I think. But I noticed (pre-covid) that I'd get stuck rush-bagging my stuff while the checker rung the next in line. This didn't happen anywhere else; if I was alone they'd help me bag until we are done. And to be clear, I dont think that checkers are our servants in any way or that they have to bag for me OR be overly friendly to be honest. idk what wages they are making either. I do appreciate some courtesy though, and it is incredibly anxiety inducing to be stuck bagging two bag worth of groceries while another persons food is being slid into my food that I'm trying to pack! (terribly!) Then in current times, a few weeks back, a checker was waiting for me to pay and literally staring at the ceiling lol, it was taking a bit. Then after I found myself rushing to bag as the next person came in. FINE, right? Its fine I guess but I then got this idea that maybe its a policy for them NOT to bag. Maybe? but then the next time a woman cashier asked if I needed help bagging my 4 items, so probably not. Or, maybe more likely? I'm missing social cues on this issue... My only real complaint: the animal-meat heavy hot bar.

New Leaf used to be where I got most of my groceries because it is close to our home. Recently they cut back the senior discount 7 days a week down to 2, just Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we find we can shop elsewhere for a better price. So we barely shop there anymore. Here are some other things to be aware of: the employees and staff obviously have little or no customer experience training. They are extremely rude. Cashiers rarely say hello unless customer says hello first. Often, when an employee is coming my way down an aisle, they expect me to move out of their way. They are very rude, like I say just almost a complete lack of awareness that they are there to serve the customer. Very unfriendly, most of them. The out of date piped in 50 year old + music makes me want to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. If you see a special, such as some kind of fruit, make sure what you're buying isn't partly rotten. My husband calls this place Old Leaf. Other than the above we love the fresh locally grown organic vegetables that we can buy in bulk. Other than those items we can get our food less expensively at Trader Joes, Lucky, or Whole Foods.

-I like the juice bar. -Parking is good. -Some of the vegan deli items are amazing.

Extremely rude employees and terrible customer service. I asked if they had the just egg products and was then lectured about how those are worse for you then chicken eggs. I said "yep well I'm allergic to chicken eggs" this employee rolled their eyes and walked away. Said excuse me to another employee so I could grab a product next to one they were stocking and they said "couldn't have waited another minute?"... this is unacceptable. You're working at the grocery store, not part of an exclusive club. Just be nicer

The last review I did of the Captiola New Leaf was in February, so five months ago . . . the response was that they were going to pass the info along and blah, blah, blah. Today I had the worst experience yet. The cashier (female, curly dark hair, might have been wearing glasses), finished my order and asked if I wanted the receipt. I said "yes," and she turned away from me and greeted the next customer. I asked if I could have one of those tokens to put in the charity things when you bring your own bag, and she snarled, "If you will wait, I will give you one!" I said "You don't have to be rude," and it's a good thing I didn't hear what she said because I think she cussed me out. I asked an employee if I could speak to a manager and they went and got "Ray." I explained to him what happened and he basically just looked at me and told me he would speak to her. I asked about training, and he again said he would speak to her. The customer "service" has gone steadily downhill. I won't be surprised when these stores close. I've been shopping at New Leaf for 22 years and am so disappointed that they don't care. I am assuming corporate would read these reviews, but they don't seem to be hiring good people or training them or telling them they must be nice to customers! Back to Whole Foods and I when I go back to New Leaf (in a jam only), I will never get in that person's line again! P.S. And don't get me started on her weird bagging. Bottom line: No training, no regard for customers, actual hostility towards customers. No bueno. Hope she gets fired. I usually don't wish bad stuff on people, but I don't think you should be able to cuss people out and get away with it.

Went in around 5 pm on Monday August 30th. The tall female cashier wearing a white blouse was very rude to the customer before me and to myself. I do not need any special treatment but having someone give you a dirty look for being a customer is asinine. She did not greet and gave a look like I was interrupting her day. She doesn't care if customers won't come back I guess, because I won't. I only bought one tea and got cash back. I had other things to buy but when I saw how she pretty much made the guy in front of me feel disgruntled I decided to put the stuff away and just get the tea. I still needed cash so that was the only reason. She also tried to not give me my cash back. It seemed like she tried to make me feel disgruntled like the guy before me so I would forget. I told her and she then took a lot of time to check the receipt, something she should have done before slamming the register closed when it opened to give me the cash back in the first place. I wonder how many people she has done that to and got away with keeping their cash. She needs to get a better job or just quit. Of course at the end she gave a fake "Have a nice day" which I ignored to show her that her being rude makes a cashier invisible to me. Too bad they don't have self check out. She probably thought it would make me forget all of her rudeness to me that she showed. The place is not as busy as it used to be so I know she wasn't over worked. Thanks to her I am sure the store will lose even more business. It lost me and my family and we used to always buy the holiday meals and meats from here. I guess buying local isn't appreciated. Whole foods will get our business and we will ignore all New Leaf stores in the area.

This place is the fire! Adriana makes the best sandwiches! Rachel is on it and I smile every time I see her! Anton and Anna are so knowledgeable with nutrition and supplements I feel like I don't need to go anywhere else. If you need any help with your health be sure to ask for Anton or Anna they are truly amazing people and have a genuine desire to help people. Anton's passion is contagious and I highly recommend checking him out for your nutrition and coaching questions! Love this place, truly a gem of Capitola

This review is specifically for the New Leaf in Capitola, but I'm sure it could apply to the other stores.... There are few places to shop in the area that really embody the word "community", especially for groceries or a quick bite to eat. Everyone here looks like they enjoy their job. Not because the job responsibilities are exactly glorious, but because you can see they like working with each other and from what I assume they are paid fairly and get benefits. That's rare in this area. I come in and everyone is friendly and addresses me by my name with a smile. Not in a creepy over the top fake way, but in a genuine human connection way. Yeah, sometimes the wait is a bit longer and the employees get stressed, but it's not frequent and THEY'RE HUMAN. You can tell they're trying their damnedest during those times. I'd much rather support this store than somewhere where everyone looks miserable or acts like robots that don't care.

I have shopped at New Leaf for years. But now, i will find another store to frequent. I waited to go on a Tuesday to get the senior discount, but the clerk did not apply it. I asked about it, and she was rude and did not offer to go back and apply the 10%. It was not a lot of money, but she was just not nice about it. It was a credit card purchase so it would have been easy to do, or to have called a manager over to assist if she did not know how. This was at the Capitola store, so fortunately for me, there are other stores in the area. Guess with the new owners, they do not want to have customer service as an important feature of their store anymore. I doubt I will go back. I will miss some of the product, but not worth it to deal with the rude staff.

The people that work there are very nice, but crazy high prices! One example is the Newmans Own tea, I bought for 6.99 at New Leaf, and then found the exact same item the same day at Nob Hill for 3.90. It was "on sale" at both stores!