After ten years of organizing, planning, fundraising, and construction, SunCoast Market Co-op has opened its doors, offering South Bay families, service members, visitors, and workers convenient access to a full-service grocery store that also offers healthy prepared foods. Whether you’re seeking a quick lunch or preparing dinner after work, SunCoast has curated a selection of tasty options to suit your needs.
The market’s mission is to provide the community with delicious and nutritious food. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of healthy groceries, meats, dairy products, beer and wine, and produce, the store’s deli serves daily selections of prepared foods, including hot main and side dishes and oven-roasted chicken. One of the most popular features is Imperial Beach’s only salad bar. In SunCoast’s Grab-n-Go section, you’ll find pre-made sandwiches, healthy side dishes, prepared salads, quiche, snack foods, fresh sushi, and beverages, catering to everyone’s busy schedule.
SunCoast’s Future-forward Silver Strand Kitchen:
Most of these offerings are prepared in the store’s Silver Strand Kitchen, one of the first all-electric commercial kitchens in San Diego County. Thanks to a generous grant from San Diego Community Power (SDCP), with additional support from San Diego Foundation and Calpine Energy Solutions, SunCoast was able to build an all-electric “clean energy” store with no gas appliances.
Grant funds facilitated the installation of cutting-edge equipment, including a six-burner induction range, kitchen appliances, a water heater, and energy-efficient refrigeration. These technologies eliminate greenhouse gas emissions at the store and position SunCoast for a carbon-free future.
Advantages of Induction Cooking for Homes & Businesses:
Faster Cooking: Induction cooktops generate an electromagnetic field that directly heats the cookware, resulting in a 40% faster boiling time for water compared to traditional cooktops.
Precise Temperature Control: Induction cooking provides instantaneous and precise adjustments for simmering, melting, and other specific heat requirements.
Increased Efficiency: Compared to gas or electric coil cooktops, nearly all energy is transferred directly to the pan, significantly reducing waste heat that needs to be expelled from the kitchen, leading to lower utility bills.
Safety: The cooktop surface itself does not reach as high temperatures as traditional surfaces, thereby reducing the risk of burns.
No open flame: Induction cooking eliminates the production of hazardous carbon monoxide and fire hazards associated with gas stoves.
Convenience: Spills are less likely to burn onto the cool, flat surface, simplifying cleanup with a damp cloth.
As an early adopter of these technologies, SunCoast, in collaboration with SDCP, provides periodic tours and demonstrations to businesses contemplating transitioning to all-electric cooking.
Beyond the kitchen, SunCoast has installed energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the store, resulting in reduced energy bills and heat from incandescent lights. Many of the back areas of the store utilize motion detection to automatically turn off the lights when no one is in the room.
SunCoast Market Co-op was built with the future in mind, and we welcome you to walk through our future-forward doors! The store is open to everyone and is located at 600 Palm Avenue, Imperial Beach, at the South end of the Silver Strand.
VOL. 116, NO. 11 – Mar. 18, 2026